Heart of Model W
by Shady Lady
Summary: Fate collides with destiny as in an alternate timeline, Ashe ends up becoming the sole heir of Model W. How will the Game of Destiny play out when she's using the winning piece, and will she end up becoming a greater threat than Master Albert himself?
1. Implantation

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything from the Megaman ZX series, simple as that.  
>Summary: Fate clashes with destiny in an alternate world as Ashe becomes a Chosen One, but not with the Model A we all know and love. When Model W decides to choose her as its rightful heir, is she destined to follow her ancestor's path and become the world's greatest threat, or can she fight against her evil heritage and overcome the will of Model W?<p>

* * *

><p><em>Raider Airship - Cargo Hold (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Industrialism Area-E - Power Plant)<br>_

The airship shuddered and rumbled as it flew towards the distant island across the sea, the lights inside the cargo hold dimming as the turbulence outside signalled their descent. A small group of amber-uniformed mercenaries were seated around the dank hold, eager to get on with their mission of obtaining the 'legendary treasure' people spoke of being hidden somewhere inside the ancient ruins located in this area.

Raiders, otherwise known to the rest of the world as 'illegal Hunters' were experts in tracking and dealing with lost technology, and this group was no exception. One of the Raiders shook his fist excitedly as the mechaniloid auto-pilot announced they'd reached their destination.

"Alright, here we are at last! This time we're gonna hit the jackpot for sure!" Gerry said as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. Lethys, a younger human man was seated next to a female reploid named Cheryl, both of whom raised their eyebrows at his statement. The woman groaned, rubbing her jewelled forehead irritably as she glared at their brash squad leader.

"Gerry, that's what you said last time and we all know how that mission turned out..." she said, while Gerry shrugged carelessly and pulled on his helmet.

"Relax, I made sure we're properly equipped with plenty of supplies this time. It might take some time to navigate around these ruins, but we're prepared for whatever happens. This time, we're gonna beat those Hunters to the punch and bag that legendary biometal!"

"Biometal? So that's what the boss man thinks is hidden away here?" Lethys said, narrowing his eyes as he tried to remember where he'd heard that term before. Gerry nodded, while Cheryl grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, I heard it's some kind of cursed stone that eats human souls!" the reploid girl jeered, waggling her fingers at the man seated beside her. Lethys paled and yanked on his helmet quickly, trembling as the lights inside the cargo hold flickered out as a particularly strong gust of wind shook the airship.

"S-shut up! Nothing could do that," the man said nervously as the woman laughed. Gerry gathered his equipment, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he considered the women's words.

"I don't know, I heard some strange rumors about biometals. Remember that crazy incident at Inner Peace about five years ago or so? I heard that the whole city almost got completely wiped out by countless mavericks, but this strangely armored kid showed up to stand against them and wiped the lot out all by himself. I went there about a year or so ago picking up some supplies for the boss man, and overheard some kids talking about that same guy. Apparantly he used these little mechanical devices to change into different forms. I don't know if biometal does steal human souls, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did something weird like that after all. I mean, what kind of person can destroy thousands of mavericks? No human I ever heard of, that's for sure!"

"Humph, I don't care what it does, just as long as we beat the Hunters to it. I hate those smug bastards always muscling in on our goodies!" Lethys said, as the other two cheered in agreement. The cargo hold rumbled again, and ground to a halt as the airship finally landed. Pulling on their gear, the Raiders counted their numbers and came up one short. Peering around the dim hold, Gerry poked his head around the corner and spotted their youngest member standing near the exit, peering through the small glass window at the outside world.

"Hey Ashe, are you ready for your first real mission?" he said, as the silver-haired girl ignored him.

"C'mon Ashe, stop daydreaming already! This is your big chance to score some real treasure!" Cheryl called, grinning as Ashe jumped to attention upon hearing the word 'treasure'.

"Pfft, I've been ready for ages, I'm just bored stiff waiting for you old timers to get yourself sorted!" the silver-haired girl said cheekily, as Lethys laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, I hope you're prepared because this old timer is gonna beat you to the treasure!"

"Don't get too excited, we don't know what's out there yet. These ruins might not be so abandoned according to this scanner," Gerry remarked, holding up a small device in the palm of his hand. It showed a map of the island across its screen, pinpointing a strange energy frequency resonating from the center of the ruins. Smaller energy signals were scattered across the land, some of them moving around. Almost certainly mavericks or rogue mechaniloids, given how long it had been since anybody was here. Lethys scratched his cheek absent-mindedly, staring at the strong signal the strange frequency was giving off.

"Do you think that's where the biometal is located?" Cheryl said, equally puzzled over the strange frequency signal. It was nothing like they'd ever seen before, and unnaturally strong. Gerry paused, looking some hesitant before shrugging his shoulders and unstrapping his rifle.

"Could be, or at least somewhere to start looking first. At any rate, we can expect trouble. Let's move out!"

* * *

><p><em>Mysterious Laboratory - Undersea Base (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Babel Tower - Serpent's Demise)<em>

"So... the Raiders think they can just stroll right in and steal away my Model A, do they?" remarked a shadowy figure to himself as he studied the numerous screens situated around the room.

Inside this large laboratory hung countless numbers of metallic fragments, each and every one large shards of jagged machinery. Crystalline red orbs littered a number of these fragments, glaring down like eyes as they too appeared to watch the goings-on at the distant isles. Their green circuits pulsed gently like a thousand heartbeats, and the shadowed being looked up at them with a vague pleasure. Turning his attention back to the screen, his considered how best to handle this situation. Had he not been so concerned with the recent intrusion into one of his other bases, he would simply have sent Prometheus to the island to deal with the intruders, but Pandora had failed in her mission and couldn't even dispose of that defective correctly. He didn't dare set her brother against the Raiders, especially when he wanted Model A's true data to be kept secret for as long as possible...

Activating a link on the nearest terminal, the figure waited as the line booted up and reached its recipient. The sounds of hissing flames came online as one of his creations stirred, responding to his call.

_"Buckfire awaits Master Albert's orders!"_

"Buckfire, there's a small group of intruders at the island base where Model A is hidden away. I need you to teleport there and dispose of them, or better yet, lure them to where Model W is located and feed them to it. They mustn't be allowed to obtain either biometals!"

_"Buckfire hears and obeys! Buckfire make sure Raiders do not leave alive!"_

"See that you don't. DAN-000 out..." the man finished, before looking up at the Model W fragments scattered above him.

"Soon, Model W... soon you shall be restored to your former glory. Every fragment will be united once again, and forged stronger than ever before!" he laughed. The crimson orbs glinted at the prospect of regaining their original power; fragmented and weakened as they were now. It had been a long wait, hundreds of years even, but it seemed as if their inactivity was finally at its end. Several of the orbs glinted again, watching the still-playing screen with growing curiosity. Had Albert been watching them more closely, he would have noticed their transfixed gaze upon the smallest of them all; the silver-haired girl with burning green eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Ancient Ruins - Archaeological Dig Site (Mega Man Zero 2 OST - Imminent Storm - Suspicious Events)<em>

Gerry led the small group through the ruins cautiously, keeping his trusty rifle trained on everything that moved. Torrential rain lashed down fiercely across the overgrown land, soaking them all as they tried to keep moving at a steady pace. As Gerry suspected, the ruins weren't as abandoned as the Raiders had previously thought; mavericks roamed the land, as well as rogue mechaniloids. Surprisingly, the majority of the irregulars were in a heavily-neglected state as if placed here long ago, only to activate in the event that unwelcome guests trespassed across the land.

Easily taken care of due to their weakened state, the Raiders wiped out the pockets of feral machines that showed up and pressed on deeper into the ruins. Gerry was an experienced tracker, and able to navigate through the rough terrain easily. Lethys and Cheryl weren't quite as experienced as the older man, but they were alert as they studied the area and noted interesting-looking objects they could possibly pick up on the way back if they had the time. Whoever had lived here had obviously used this place as temporary store-houses or possibly even a laboratory, before the ravages of the elements reclaimed the land over the years. For several hours, the Raiders travelled until they had almost reached the center of the island where the mysterious frequency was detected.

It was Ashe who first sensed they were being followed, and she whistled lowly to attract Gerry's attention. Instantly the man paused, pretending to be busy looking at his surroundings while keeping an eye on his scanner. Sure enough, there was something hiding nearby, its energy readings almost concealed thanks to the heavy rain scrambling the signals around them. Just ahead in the distance was an old-looking tower, the most likely location of where the strange frequency was coming from. Lethys and Cheryl gazed around the ruins nervously, before the reploid girl looked up and gasped.

There, standing atop the nearest pillar of twisted metal was the strangest-looking maverick that Ashe had ever seen. Silhouetted against the stormy grey skies, the unusual-looking being jumped down and landed lightly before the small group. Standing almost eight feet tall, its height was exaggerated even more due to the blade-like horns adorning the top of its ruminant-like face. Snorting and wheezing upon its discovery, the deer-like maverick kicked its flaming heels and pointed aggressively at the group, its emotionless eyes staring coldly at the Raiders before it.

"Raiders! You not welcome here in these lands! Penalty for trespassing is death!"

"Figures there had to be at least one real maverick here... spread out quickly and get some distance between all of you. It doesn't sound particularly smart so with the four of us around, it ought to have trouble picking us off one by one..." Gerry whispered, though Buckfire's sharp ears caught his words and whinnied furiously at the insult.

"Me not maverick! Me Pseudoroid! Me Buckfire! Buckfire will pummel you all into ground!"  
><em><br>**WARNING! MAVERICK DETECTED!** (Mega Man Zero OST - Crash - Boss Theme)_

Lethys and Cheryl darted around Buckfire's left, while Gerry and Ashe moved around Buckfire's right in an attempt to circle around the Gaxelleroid and make use of the cover offered up by the ruins around them. Buckfire watched them run cautiously, eyeing their weapons as their plasma bullets ripped and tore through the air around him. Dashing around the area, the deer-like maverick dodged the majority of the bullets shot by the humans and snorted angrily as his light-weight hull was nicked by their stinging pellets.

Jumping up into the air, Buckfire shot down to the ground with a crash, his flaming heels leaving trails of smoke and embers across the wet grass. Lethys rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding being crushed to death by the Pseudoroid's powerful legs while Cheryl took her chance to pepper Buckfire's face with her buster gun.

"Y-yowch!" Buckfire howled, rubbing his snout painfully as both Lethys and Cheryl scrambled to safety behind a fallen pillar of gnarled metal and vegetation. Gerry continued to focus his fire on the maverick's back, his bullets barely denting the maverick's orange-brown hull. Ashe also fired away, stopping when the deer-like irregular turned around to focus on them instead. Being so large, Buckfire had trouble navigating through the small area, and had hoped to catch them unawares until they'd at least reached the tower nearby. Here with so much cover, the speedy little humans had the advantage of being able to keep moving around while the debris stopped him from skimming across the land so quickly.

Snorting in frustration, Buckfire turned and dashed off deeper into the ruins towards the tower still visible in the distance. Lethys went to rush after the escaping Pseudoroid, but Cheryl held him back before he could follow after Buckfire who was rapidly becoming a fading light in the misty atmosphere.

"Aww, he's getting away! C'mon, let's finish that maverick off before he gets any bright ideas about ambushing us again!" the young human male said, as the reploid woman shook her head.

"I don't know, that maverick was nowhere near ready to give up so easily. It seems like he _wants_ us to follow him to that tower up ahead..." Cheryl said, looking at the path ahead while Gerry nodded in agreement.

"Right where that odd frequency is located... seems like we have to go there anyway, so the sooner we get there, the less time that maverick has to rest. If nobody's hurt then stir your stumps because that maverick's in for a beating!"

"Right!" the others said, readying their weapons as they followed Buckfire's trail towards the ancient-looking tower looming ahead.

* * *

><p><em>Ancient Ruins - Crumbling Tower <em>(Mega Man Zero OST - Infiltration - Aquatic Stage)<em>  
><em>

"Well, looks like our friend is definitely waiting for us inside. Keep your weapons ready at all times, there's no telling what's inside this tower, least of all if there are traps and other mechaniloids designed to keep intruders out."

The rusted metal doors to the tower lay in scattered pieces inside the corridor, a heavy kick having smashed the frame apart and partially melting the heavy metallic panels. Cheryl stared numbly at the broken pieces, while Lethys paled again at the thought of what Buckfire's kick could have done to him had he not rolled away in time. Droplets of rain led the way inside the dark corridors, showing which direction Buckfire had gone inside the facility. Leading the way as he usually did, Gerry held a torch in one hand while holding his rifle in the other, his eyes flickering here and there as he kept a watch out for trouble. Ashe walked alongside Cheryl quietly, feeling unusually nervous the further inside they ventured.

Having lived with the Raiders for as long as she could remember, Ashe been excited about going on her first real mission for months. Unlike the Hunters, where young adults were accompanied on their missions alongside older members, they all had to follow the strict orders of Legion HQ and weren't usually given much responsibilty until they were of age. Even then, Legion was demanding of the spoils, using the excuse of obtaining that lost technology to better improve the rest of the world. The Raiders worked very differently and had their own ideals for such technology, especially since they were the ones who had to bust their asses reclaiming the valuable treasures and information hoarded by the mavericks that roamed Outlands; dangerous areas rendered uninhabited or inhospitable to citizens thanks to the feral machines.

While members as young as Ashe were a rarity, she was as just valued as their older mercenaries, and given a fair share of the spoils as long as she did her fair share of work. While the older members would look out for her safety specifically, she had gained much more experience and knowledge on the field than she would have done living safely with regular citizens or even with the Hunters themselves. Just shy of sixteen, Ashe was already considered an adult and was just as capable with a weapon as anybody else. Still, despite her years of training, there was something sinister about this place that she just couldn't shake. Idly she noticed that Lethys and Cheryl looked equally unsettled, jumping at flickering shadows and the creaking metal of the building echoing around them.

"There...!" Cheryl said, spotting Buckfire's glowing eyes peering at them through the darkness ahead. Raising his weapon, Gerry prepared to fire but the deer-like maverick turned on his heels and jumped up onto the second floor, clearing a whole level of stairs at once. At once he vanished into the gloom, causing the Raiders to curse in annoyance.

"Damn it, he's playing some stupid game with us!" the older man growled, not liking what the maverick was doing. Unlike most irregulars who attacked mindlessly, this one acted strangely, as if he wanted them to follow him even deeper for whatever reason. Climbing up the stairs, Lethys and Cheryl took the lead slowly as the stairway rumbled and cracked. The ancient tower wasn't as sturdy as it used to be, and even the weight of one person going up at a time caused strain on the crumbling architecture.

"Alright, be as careful as you can while we're up here. This place is falling apart and we don't want anybody getting lost or falling through the floor somewhere."

"Roger that."

As they ascended the second and even the third floor, Buckfire seemingly showed up at random, guiding them through the sprawling corridors of the blackened tower. Cracks in the walls and windows showed dim light shining through, though the rainfall remained as heavy and unforgiving as when they'd entered. Again, Buckfire waited near the bottom of each stairway, and leapt up to the next level before anybody could fire off a shot at him. Each level they climbed grew darker and more neglected, and by now, even Gerry's torch could barely light the way. The ancient flooring groaned sharply underneath their feet, and even their group leader appeared to be having second thoughts about continuing any further.

"Look, this corridor splits off into two paths!" Lethys said, shining his own torch ahead to help light the way. Sure enough, there were two paths, one heading left while the other veered off sharply to the right. Gerry shined his torch down both corridors, but there was no telling which way their quarry had gone. Flicking out his scanner, the frequency detector was going absolutely haywire. Without the maverick's telltale droplets guiding the way as he'd dried off long ago already, there was no telling which pathway Buckfire had taken.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this, guys. Maybe we should get out of here and head back to the ship..."

"No way, we've made it this far, no sense giving up just because it's a little dark. Stupid maverick's just playing mind games with us."

"A little dark is nothing to be concerned about, sure, but a whole lot of it? Even biometal's not worth this."

"Shut up and stop being such a pussy. Head back if you want, but we're heading on."

"Awww, why you always gotta be like this..."

"Stop whining, you big baby. Gerry, take Lethys with you, I can't stand his belly-aching any more. I'll go with Ashe and take the right path."

"Whatever you say. If you ladies get into trouble, scream. We might come."

"Very funny. C'mon Ashe, let's show the boys how it's done."

"'Kay!"

Taking the right path, both Ashe and Cheryl moved slowly through the corridor, listening out for movement more than relying on their eyes. It was absolute black now, even their twin torches barely able to light the way past a few feet. Around them, the sounds of the thunderstorm could be heard outside, while more distantly was the fading sound of Lethys' whining as he and Gerry followed the left path. Even Cheryl felt a little unnerved by the eerie silence, and suddenly their team-mates complaints didn't sound so unwarranted now. Opening her own scanner, the reploid women frowned as the bizarre frequency was now at the strongest it had been. The map inside the tower was scrambled, showing nothing ahead and detecting no signs of life around them at all, organic or otherwise.

Ashe's foot knocked something, causing both girls to jump at the loud sound and look around. A piece of metal, orange-red in colour was lying on the floor, perhaps a piece of Buckfire's armor having dropped off from their earlier scuffle. Scorch marks covered the floor, the metal still warm to the touch as both Ashe and Cheryl bent down to touch the marked floor.

"Looks like our friend came this way alright. We must almost be at the end of this place, I've lost count of how many floors we've climbed as there aren't even any windows anymore to show how high we are..." the reploid woman said, while Ashe readied her Buster. The corridor widened slightly, and a faint red light could be seen glinting in the distance. Picking up their pace, both girls walked briskly ahead, the crimson light almost enthralling throughout the endless gloom.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Fate - Deep Seated Grudge - Boss Encounter)<em>

At the end of the corridor were two rooms located side by side One room appeared empty, while the other was filled with an intense red glow. Walking inside, both reploid and human women looked around the room carefully, watching out for any hiding places Buckfire could be waiting. There were no exits in this room other than the one behind them, the room filled with trashed equipment as if somebody had already been here long ago. Wiping a coating of dust off the surface, Ashe examined a strange-looking piece of equipment, looking almost like a capsule used to monitor the health of reploids. The glass was stained and cracked, no longer capable of housing anybody, but considering how old it appeared, it looked far more advanced than any type of monitoring equipment she'd ever seen. Just what was this place, and what had it been used for?

"Look up there!" Cheryl said, her eyes wide. Whipping her head upwards, Ashe finally spotted the source of the crimson light.

Hanging from the ceiling was a twisted chunk of metal unlike anything they'd seen before. Thick and white, it hung suspended on thick black coils of wire, while a large red orb glowed in the center of its formation like some grim adornment. More black coils were embedded in the surface of the walls, as if it had been growing here for a very, very long time. Green circuits glowed faintly, pulsating as if the thing was alive. Fear and disgust rippled through both women as they gazed upon the twisted amalgam, unable to make sense of what it was exactly other than being the obvious cause of the mysterious frequency.

"What is this thing? Is this the biometal that Wolff sent us here for?" Ashe whispered.

"I don't know... whatever it is, we ain't gonna be able to drag that back to our ship, let alone take off with it."

***SNORT* *WHEEZE***

From out of seemingly nowhere, Buckfire lunged out from behind the wreckage nearby and headbutted Cheryl as hard as he could. The reploid women went flying across the room, having shoved Ashe down to the floor in order to prevent her from being body-slammed too. The human girl cried out as her friend tumbled across the ground, the rusted metal flooring underneath her giving way as she plummeted down to goodness knows how many levels below. Whinnying in delight, Buckfire danced and kicked his heels, having successfully gotten rid of one of the intruders - namely that impudent female who shot at his well-designed face.

"You...!" Ashe hissed, struggling to get up off the filthy floor. Hatred for every maverick burned throughout her, the twisted machines being the cause of her having to grow up without a family. As well-meaning as the Raiders had been, Ashe had never truly had a family or real identity, not knowing if Ashe was even her true birth name. Wolff had found her at a destroyed village years ago, the only survivor of a widespread maverick raid. While he never tried to take the place of her father, he'd taken the girl in and ensured she grew up educated and capable of looking after herself. Cheryl was one of the few who truly looked out for Ashe's well-being, the reploid women being almost like a sister to her over the years.

And Buckfire had probably just killed her. Just like the other mavericks who killed her family years ago...

"You... stupid... _machine_. I'll tear you apart... even if it's the last thing I do!" she snarled, her blood boiling with rage. Buckfire, as emotionless and unfearing as he was couldn't help but cringe slightly at the hateful tone in her voice. While he wasn't a stranger to killing people, such hatred and anger directed towards him personally was very uncommon, especially coming from such a young child. Nonetheless, he snorted impudently and prepared to charge again, troubling himself no longer with such thoughts.

Above them, the red orb of the hanging biometal suddenly glowed intensely, flooding the room with crimson light. Responding to Ashe's hatred and rage, the green circuits burned crimson, shining so brightly it almost blinded them both as the entire tower began to tremble. The thick coils of wire slithered around like black serpents as Model W roused itself from its long slumber at last, the rich emotions underneath a meal far too enticing to pass up. Buckfire froze, trembling at the power resonating from the dreaded Model W as it finally awakened. He couldn't teleport it away now however, not while it was beginning to feed.

Ashe was paralyzed, white-hot agony searing throughout her body as she felt her hatred and anger being siphoned out of her very being. Far from shocking or upsetting her, it enraged her even more that anything could dare to try and stop her. She would destroy Buckfire, red light or no red light, and so she screamed in defiance. Model W pulsated, responding even more fiercely to the intense emotions the girl was willingly throwing at it. For such a young girl, she had so much pent-up anger, almost too much to drain in one go. Still Ashe raged on, focusing directly on the still-watching Buckfire as the Gaxelleroid tried to make sense of what was going on. Taking a step forwards, the silver-haired girl resisted the will of Model W and carried on stalking towards the prone maverick, causing Buckfire to step back against the wall worriedly. Model W continued trying to drain Ashe's emotions, the girl seemingly uncaring of its power as she shrugged off its siphoning powers at last and sprinted towards the deer-like Pseudoroid.

Buckfire's nerve broke at last and he fled, dashing out of the door and vanishing into the darkness. Ashe screamed in fury, more loudly than she'd ever done before. Cheryl was gone, and Buckfire had escaped without punishment. The silver-haired girl continued to scream, Model W screaming along with her as it felt her grief and rage as intensely as she did. At that instant, something strange happened as it sensed something else deep inside the girl, something deep down in her DNA calling to it enticingly. Resonating again, Model W's ruby-red core trembled, and shattered into thousands of pieces. At once, Ashe's screaming stopped short, and she looked down to see that one of the blood-red shards had pieced her chest. Not just red due to its ruby-red tones, but red as her lifeblood welled out of the injury and trickled down the mortal wound.

"Ugh..." she muttered, sighing as the light in her green eyes dimmed as she fell to the ground. Moments later she lay motionless, her eyelids fluttering shut as coldness enveloped her. Another sigh, and then she moved no more.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man Zero OST - The Ruins Of Lab)<em>

Cold. It was bitterly cold, drifting through this endless black haze. Far darker than the path she and Cheryl had taken earlier before finding the room where the biometal had been hidden. Where was she, where were the others? Was she dead? It certainly seemed that way, what with her heart being pierced by the shards of the hanging amalgam... and yet there was a vague sense of awareness that hadn't yet diminished. There was no pain, not anymore, though there hadn't been much even before she passed out. Stirring faintly, Ashe cracked open her eyes to try and make sense of what was around her.

Hundreds of red eyes glared down at her through the darkness, an endless sea of crimson orbs surrounding her. Their gaze was harsh and cold, scrutinising her much too intensely for her liking. Faint whispers echoed throughout her mind, the words too faint to make sense of other than that it sounded as if hundreds of people were whispering to her at once. Some voices were angry, some sounded sad, some were cold and many confused. Some called for help, crying and begging for help, while others blamed and cursed her. The voices only grew louder as Ashe tried to blot them out, desperately trying to ignore the accusing words as the red eyes appeared to grow closer and closer. The blackness faded into a sea of red, as if she were flowing through rivers of flood. The voices turned mocking and high, strange laughter calling out as they sang out together as one in a high-pitched whine.

"Stop!" she cried out, clenching her fists to her head as she tried to ignore the painful sound. Just when she thought her head was about to explode, the red eyes widened and shut themselves quickly as a strange white light emerged. Blessed silence fell as the voices also retreated, unable to stand the prescence of the glowing orb floating gently before her. Warm and comforting, the orb pulsed gently and waited for her feelings to settle down before doing anything else. Calming, Ashe gazed upon the orb, marvelling as its beauty as rainbow lights shimmered off its surface. It was beautiful to behold, though there was something also sad about it.

_"Ashe...?"_ it called faintly, sounding concerned for her. The silver-haired girl blinked in surprise, trying to lift her head to look at the hovering orb properly.

"H-how do you... know my name...?" she whispered to it, her chest burning with pain as she tried to talk. The glowing light hushed her, seeming to inspect her injuries. Slightly jutting out of her chest where her heart was located was the red shard of Model W's core, glowing inside of her. The bulk of her Raider's outfit hid it to all but the most knowing eyes, as the shard seemed to worm its way inside the open cavity of her flesh. Ashe gasped in agony, clenching at her chest as the cutting shard burned painfully, and the orb resonated again, trying to take away the pain. It seemed to work, as the shard settled its movements down. The wound closed up, flesh and blood knitting together to seal the wound. Breathing heavily, Ashe slowly managed to sit up as the orb began to grow dim.

_"I... can't stay here much longer but... remember... you are not alone. There is good inside of you, Ashe... do not let Model W win..."_

"Tell me who you are? And what's Model W?" she asked, as the orb faded away. Darkness returned, but the eyes and the voices remained silent for the time being. Distantly Ashe was aware of somebody calling her voice, and the coldness faded away as warm hands touched her face.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Whispers of Relics)<em>

"Ashe? Ashe? C'mon kid, wake up already!" Cheryl whimpered, patting the young human's face.

When Buckfire had attacked earlier, the reploid girl had fallen down several levels and was knocked offline momentarily. When she rebooted and came to, she recognized the stairways around her, and finding the same path again had only taken minutes. However, seconds counted against mavericks, and Cheryl's metaphorical heart had been in her mouth through the whole journey. Just as she'd reached the uppermost level, Buckfire had charged past her in absolute terror, howling in fear as he leaped down the stairs and out of the building as fast as he possibly could. There'd been no sign of the others, and the reploid girl entered the red room only to find Ashe sprawled out across the floor, seemingly dead.

"Wake up, Ashe... don't do this to me, kid..." Cheryl begged, breathing a sigh of relief as the silver-haired girl finally stirred at last. Her Raider's uniform was spotted with dried blood, though thankfully the human girl didn't seem too badly injured after all. Cracking open her eyes, Ashe squeezed them shut as if fearing seeing what was above. Cheryl helped her sit up, preventing the girl from getting up too fast as she swayed dizzily.

"That Model W... where's it gone?" the silverette asked, as Cheryl tilted her head curiously.

"Model W? Is that what that hanging thing was called?" she asked, looking up towards the ceiling. The thing was _gone_, leaving nothing behind except the embedded walls where it hung from those colossal wires. There was a number of ruby-red shards littering the floor, as if the thing had fallen and smashed, but there was no way that could have happened as there was no other sign of its existance...

_"Psssht... Cher... Ashe... do you read...?"_ came Gerry's voice on Cheryl's communicator. Flicking it open, the reploid Raider accepted the transmission and answered back.

"Yeah, we're here. That odd signal cleared up at last - turns out it was some weird biometal although there's no sign of it now. Did you find anything?" she asked, as Gerry and Lethys confirmed that they had. Inside the rooms where they'd gone through, there was one little mechaical device locked away inside the very last room. Lethys had managed to crack the capsule's code, unlocking the inactive device before obtaining it.

_"Well, that's a shame what you found is gone, although from the sounds of things, it would have been too big to take back anyway. If that maverick's gone, I guess there's no need to stay any longer. Meet you back at the entrance and get ready to depart ASAP."_

"Roger that," the reploid girl said, shutting off the link before checking Ashe over one last time. The girl clutched at her chest as if it pained her, but colour had flooded back into her face again as she managed to get back up onto her feet. Cheryl hovered anxiously for a moment, before deciding that Ashe must be okay if she was able to move.

"You sure you alright, kid? You must have been hit pretty badly."

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch. I'll get it taken care of once we're back at camp," Ashe said, looking tired and disappointed.

"If you're sure..." Cheryl said quietly, before helping the girl to her feet. Moments later they left the room, and strangely it was brighter than when they'd first entered earlier. The way back was much more easily lit, and it wasn't long until they met the two men waiting downstairs near the entrance. Sure enough, Lethys gleefully showed off his treasure, seeming elated that he'd gotten ahold of the prize before anybody else. The object he found was quite unlike the Model W from the red room, almost looking like a tiny blue and white face with pointed white 'ears'. It resonated with a strange frequency, similiar to that of Model W except this one didn't throw the scanner out of loop.

"All that trouble for this tiny thing? Hope Wolff thinks its worth it because that was totally not a fun mission."

"Aww c'mon, what's life without a bit of excitement?"

"I can do without the excitement that involves being thrown down multiple floors, Luffy."

"_Shut up_, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"Too many times to count, but I'm calling you that as often as I want."

"Pfft, you girls are no fun at all..."

Ashe felt jumpy and skittish all the way back to the airship, and had the strangest feeling that somebody was watching her. Not only that, but her chest itched and burned where the shard of Model W had impaled her. Faintly she could feel it stirring inside of her, alert and aware as it reached out to feel the emotions all around her; Lethys' glee and Cheryl's annoyance. After an hour of solid walking, their airship finally came into view at last, untouched and where they'd left it. Stashing their booty in the cargo hold, Gerry called Raider's HQ and let Wolff know of the successful mission, their leader acknowledging the capture of the fabled biometal. It was time to go home and kick back, and get ready for another night of celebration. As the airship took off and began flying back to the Oil Fields to meet up with the rest of the crew, Ashe seperated from the other team members to examine her wound more closely.

The jagged gash had almost healed completely, appearing scabbed and raw-looking. The source of the pain and itchiness no doubt, though Ashe knew better than to pick at it. As far as she knew, Buckfire hadn't taken that Model W with him, and that the one tremendous fragment of biometal was now nestled _inside_ of her, feeding off her lifeforce and emotions like some parasite. Too tired out to care any longer, the silver-haired girl rested against the wall and closed her eyes for a bit, hoping to catch a quick nap before the ship docked back at the arid Oil Field and having to brief up on the horrible mission. At least they hadn't left empty-handed, but Ashe couldn't help but feel disappointed that she hadn't been the one to find the little biometal as opposed to the malignant Model W instead...

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So there we have it, an alternate world where Ashe grew up not as a Hunter but one of the Raiders instead. How will Mega Man ZX Advent play out with Ashe entering the Game of Destiny as the lone player using Model W itself? Is she destined for the path of evil like the other users of Model W have come to follow, or can she overcome its evil heritage and use its power for good? I'm open to all suggestions and possible OC's, though I'm planning on Grey being the user of Model A.<p> 


	2. Past Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything from the Mega Man ZX series, simple as that.  
>Summary: Fate clashes with destiny in an alternate world as Ashe becomes a Chosen One, but not with the Model A we all know and love. When Model W decides to choose her as its heir, is she destined to follow her ancestor's path and become the greatest threat the world has seen yet, or can she fight against her evil heritage and overcome the will of Model W?<p>

* * *

><p><em>Hunter Airship - Cargo Hold (Mega Man ZX Advent Tunes - Den of Hunters)<em>

The sunshine was bright that afternoon as the large airship soared through the endless blue skies. Inside this particular cargo hold were a pair of Hunters seated together at a rectangular container, using its wide surface as a make-shift table for their latest game. A variety of mechaniloid-themed cards were spread out before either player, the first man looking excited while the other appeared to be considering his next move.

"You're not gonna be able to beat this one, Lazarus!" Red said, gloating as he revealed his latest card. It was a powerful maverick with boosted stats, but Lazarus quietly studied his own hand to select the best cards to use against the newest irregular in Red's arsenal. Nearby, a young reploid man with silver hair was seated next to the hold's window, pressing his scarred face up against the sunlit glass to watch the passing clouds down below.

The cockpit door opened, and Nicol stepped inside the hold to see how thoroughly his comrades were prepared for their upcoming mission. He started angrily when he spotted Lazarus and Red playing their stupid 'Maverick Wars' game again, slapping his palm against the wall to grab their attention.

"Hey, don't tell me you guys still aren't ready yet! We're gonna catch up with the Raider fleet any moment now!" he said as he glared at the pair. Lazarus finally selected a card, and Red cursed upon recognizing it. This particular maverick hunter wasn't ordinarily very strong, but due to the maverick's boosted stats, it also gained those additional stats for itself and was further enhanced by the number of defeated cards in his 'graveyard'. Throwing it down onto the battlefield, the dark-haired man smirked triumphantly upon winning the round.

"And there goes your maverick!" Lazarus said smugly, while Red groaned in defeat and scooped up the rest of his cards. Turning towards Nicol, Lazarus casually pulled on his helmet and stretched out lazily.

"Take it easy man, those radars are still all clear. I'll go check on our mission in a moment if you're so jumpy."

"Sooner rather than later, Blue. Our client's Legion itself and this mission is top priority - if we fuck things up, the Hunters'll look bad and we'll never get any decent missions again."

"Remind me again what was it that we're supposed to be picking up?" Red asked, as Nicol rolled his eyes.

"Only the biggest treasure that's been discovered for years! Word on the grapevine is that the Raiders managed to get ahold of some biometal. Our mission is to take it back and deliver it straight to Legion Headquarters."

Upon hearing that, Red jumped up and yanked his helmet on, whistling at the thought of the rich rewards they could receive for turning such a treasure in. Biometal was incredibly rare and valuable; only a few had ever been discovered and the powers they possessed were just as immense as their value. If what Nicol said was true, this one little piece of technology could make them all millionaires.

"Biometal, huh? I bet there's a huge bounty on that!" he said excitedly as the other men laughed.

"That's right, so stop playing your silly card games and get your asses in gear already."

Red huffed in annoyance, and would have started on about how their games weren't _silly_, but he was interrupted by the ship's alarms. On the digital map projected across the wall, the Raider fleet was detected on their radars at last, located just a few miles ahead. Their altitude was much lower than the Hunter's aircraft, flying through the clouds below as if using them for cover. Nicol hummed to himself thoughtfully as he studied their location, noting their somewhat clustered position. The lead airship was at the helm of the fleet, surrounded by a multitude of smaller warships designed for fending off mavericks and other unwelcome attackers. Obviously they wouldn't stash such a valuable piece of equipment inside one of those disposable units, keeping their prize as well-protected as possible inside their main ship's hold...

"Hmm, should be a simple matter of flying overhead and dropping down onto the lead airship. That's where the booty always is..."

Turning his gaze from the digital map over to the small figure still sitting next to the window, Lazarus nudged Nicol's arm and whispered to him quietly.

"Do you know what's up with Grey? He's so quiet, lad hasn't moved a muscle since we took off."

Indeed, Grey appeared as calm as can be, not seeming to be at all concerned that they were about to embark on a potentially deadly mission. Nicol adjusted his helmet, lowering the emerald visor to ensure his eyes would be protected from the cutting winds during the drop.

"Eh, give him some time to adjust. Kid lost his memory after all so he probably doesn't know what to expect."

"Think he'll be alright with us then?" asked Red, as Nicol thought about how the reploid youth might react in a hostile situation should worst come to worst.

"I think so, the lad ain't stupid. He knows how to fire a gun and all the other important things about taking care of himself out there. I figured since we need another member in our group, this mission ought to be a good trial run in seeing how he handles himself in stressful situations. As long as we watch out for him and make sure he doesn't get hurt, there shouldn't be any problem getting that biometal back. We're only here for a quick smash and grab after all, no firefights or anything stupid like that if we can help it."

"Fair enough. In and out before that dozy lot even realize we're here, easy work..." Lazarus said, while Nicol reached over to the reploid youth and slapped him on the shoulder to catch his attention.

"Alright Grey, you ready for your first mission?" he asked as the boy jumped up.

"Y-yeah!" Grey said, tugged at the collar of his new uniform as he walked over to join the others. His Hunter's outfit was a little uncomfortable, but he figured he'd get used to it soon enough. Nicol nodded approvingly before giving the group a thumbs-up, pointing out the lead airship marked across the digital map screen.

"Good! Now, since looks like we're all sorted at last, I'll fill you in on the details as we go along. Let's move out!" he said, as the others cheered and prepared to make the drop down onto the Raider fleet just below.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Fragments - Sadness Theme)<em>

_Dawn broke at last, though the bleak rays of morning light struggled to pierce the thick cloud of smog that hung over the desolate village. The mangled bodies of humans, reploids and mechaniloids littered the still-smoking grounds, the pitiful remains of a brutal maverick raid that had successfully wiped out yet another peaceable community in these lands. Amidst the corpses, one lone survivor remained, a trembling silver-haired child huddled next to the bloodied body of a young woman whose sightless eyes stared up at the stormy skies above._

_"Mommy? Please get up now, it's cold and we're going to get wet out here..." the little girl said, shaking her mother's stiff shoulder as though trying to wake her. A distant rumble of thunder echoed overhead, proving the child right as heavy raindrops began falling from the skies to splatter across the charred earth._

_Ashe was dreaming again, back to when she was a child and her family had been wiped out by invading mavericks. No older than four, she'd listened as the feral machines came during the night, and watched as they lay waste to the once-peaceful community as they pillaged homes for energy and other resources. She'd watched as her father had tried fighting back, gunning down several of the rogue machines before his life was taken. Her mother had then scooped up her only child into her arms and tried to make a run for it._

_There had been too many of the invading irregulars to avoid however. A single shot ripped through the woman's back, causing her to stumble and fall as she instantly died from the blow. Ashe was knocked out as both mother and daughter fell to the ground, and thankfully didn't awaken until several hours had passed and the slaughter long since finished. Cold, hurt and frightened, her mother's body was the only source of comfort in the devasted community that had been her home for years._

_"Mom...?" Ashe asked again, shivering as the rain began to fall more heavily. Once always so warm, her mother felt so cold, and Ashe wasn't strong enough to carry her back inside their home where they'd both be warm and dry. She hadn't wanted to leave her there either, in case she did wake up and was scared about being alone. Ashe knew she was. It wasn't until several hours had passed and the rain now a downpour when Ashe's eyes began to close. It was then that the distant sounds of aerial craft coming in to land could be heard over the thunder, causing the girl to snap awake as several small airships landed nearby. Frightening-looking people jumped out of the hovering aircrafts, all dressed in scary yellow uniforms. Huddling next to her mother's body protectively, Ashe wondered if they were the mavericks come back to get her too..._

_"Damn, those mavericks really tore this place up something terrible..." said a dark-haired reploid woman, while the human male next to her shook his head pityingly. A tall man dressed in a crimson uniform surveyed the area carefully, shaking his head at the sight of so much death._

_"Spread out, see if there's any survivors around here!" he ordered as his troops fanned out across the streets. Ashe was too far away to hear what they were saying, but believed that they were indeed the mavericks having returned. Trembling in fear, the silver-haired girl held her breath and pretended to be fast asleep, hoping against hope that they'd overlook her and go away soon._

_'Please don't see us, please don't see us...' she thought over and over, her heart hammering so quickly she feared they'd hear it over the lashing rain. Minutes passed, the distant sounds of people talking to one another growing quieter and quieter until silence returned at last. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ashe relaxed and lifted her head to see if the strangers really had gone. There was a gasp, and Ashe turned around to see the reploid woman from earlier standing nearby and staring directly at her._

_"Hey boss, there's still a kid over here!" she called, as several people came running over to see if medical assistance was necessary._

_"What? Is he alright?" said the man in red, pushing his way to the front of the crowd as the noisy rabble jostled around to get a look at the young child. Ashe was frozen with terror, staring down the strangers with burning green eyes as she tried not to show fear. The reploid woman sighed, trying to get some of the hapless gawkers to back off and stop frightening the girl so much._

_"She, boss. Really little one too..." the woman remarked sadly, as Ashe remained huddled against her mother's side. She didn't try to run, couldn't anyway after falling on her leg earlier and hurting it badly. The man in the red uniform looked down at her mother's body, then back at the silver-haired girl again. Crouching down, he reached out towards her slowly and spoke in what he hoped was an encouraging voice._

_"C'mere kid, don't be afraid of old Wolff. I know I look scary but I promise I won't hurt you," he said quietly, as Cheryl, the reploid woman, nodded in agreement._

_Ashe sniffled, still afraid, but slowly let go of her mother's side at last and tried to stand. These people didn't seem so bad after all, and waited patiently in order to allow her to come to them. Slowly she dragged herself over, leg aching until at last she reached Wolff and tumbled into the man's outstretched arms. Picking her up carefully, both he and the reploid woman inspected the young girl to see if she was alright. Her clothes were drenched from the rain, chilling the girl to her bones, but she seemed to be in good health aside from her leg which appeared fractured from the bad fall._

_"What happened here, kiddo?" Wolff asked after Cheryl had taken her jacket off to wrap around the freezing girl. The reploid glared at the man for his insensitive question, but Ashe sniffed again, trying not to cry as she recalled what happened._

_"The m-mavvaricks came when we were all asleep and started fighting with everyone. Daddy tried to fight back, but they shot him and then shot mommy too when we tried to run away. One of them hit her, and she... my mommy..." and Ashe couldn't finish her sentence, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Cheryl bit her lip, unsure of what to do as Wolff simply held the girl close and let her cry it out._

_"What are you going to do with her, boss? We aren't exactly the best people to look after a child..." one of the onlookers asked. Wolff looked around the devasted village, before looking back down at the woman's bloodied body again. She couldn't have been older than thirty, far too young to leave a child orphaned and alone in this world..._

_"... No, I guess not, but we can't just dump her somewhere all by herself. Legion failed big time here in not keeping this area properly secured, and all these people paid for their arrogance. If people can't trust them to ensure a village's safety, how can they be trusted to look after one little kid?"_

_"So we're keeping her then?" Cheryl asked, breaking out into a grin as Wolff rolled his eyes in exasperation. Fortunately for him, Ashe was beginning to settle down, her tears subsiding to hiccups as she started to fall asleep. Finding nobody else alive in the ruined village, the Raiders quickly returned to their airships and set a course back to the desert where their hideout was situated. Wolff, Cheryl and several others sat together in moody silence, Ashe sleeping soundly in the man's arms during the entire trip back._

_"Don't worry kid, we'll look after you the best we can," Cheryl said, ruffling the girl's silver-coloured hair as she slumbered._

_Ashe's memories faded at that point, remembering little of what happened afterwards. The Raiders had kept their promise though, and ensured that Ashe grew up with the best care that they could offer. Life in the desert was harsh and unforgiving, but the years quickly passed and the silver-haired girl soon recovered from her ordeal, growing up from a small child into a capable young mercenary. Now Ashe found herself walking through their quiet base, stopping to enter her bedroom unit like she'd done countless times before. Inside the room was small and spartan, but it was hers alone and her own private refuge away from the rest of the world._

_[Such a terrible past...] came a quiet voice, not sounding at all like the silvery orb from earlier that day. Startled, Ashe whipped around to look for the source of the sound. Her room appeared as normal as it ever did, the silver-haired girl standing alone amidst the meagre belongings scattered around the hold._

_"Who said that?" she asked, as a distant chuckle echoed throughout the room. A jolt of agonizing pain suddenly lanced through her body, causing her to cry out as the jagged scar across her chest glowed red. Spreading out to envelop her body, the crimson light grew in intensity, resonating until both it and the pain subsided at last. Dropping to her knees, the silver-haired girl fought to catch her breath as the shard of Model W stirred inside her once more._

_[Behold your true form in the mirror...] its voice whispered, the cold words sounding stronger this time. Rubbing her head, Ashe stood up and walked over towards the hanging mirror across the room. Upon reaching the reflective screen, the girl opened her eyes and stared at her reflection as Model W requested, gasping at the sight that met her eyes._

_Covering her entire body was dark armor, jet-black and edged with crimson markings. The majority of the plating was thick and sturdy, offering protection as well as adequate mobility around her joints and flexible limbs. The dark plates lay snugly across her white bodysuit, cold to the touch but feeling so tough it seemed like it could protect her from anything. Smooth in some places and spiked in others, Ashe's reflection stood tall and intimidating. Her helmet concealed most of her facial features, showing only her lower face as her eyes and forehead were hidden away beneath the monstrous-looking visage. Glowing amber eyes shone out of the helmet's 'eye sockets' of sorts, appearing feral and predatory in the dim light._

_Jutting out of her chest was an amber-coloured spike, while smaller points lined either side of her new form. The major spike pulsated oddly as if mimicking her heartbeat if she still had one, that was. There were no spikes on either her hands or feet, leaving them free such of obstructions. Studying herself carefully, she finally lifted her arms to view the most distinctive part of her armor. Equipped on either forelimb were a pair of bladed wing-like projectiles, spreading out across the further she stretched. Combined with the helmet, Model W caused her to resemble the mythical beast of ancient legends known as the dragon, her dark wings unfurling to fan out across the tiny room._

_"This is my true form...?" she whispered, running her palms across her face. The reflection mimicked her actions, its vicious arms reaching up to caress the soft flesh of her cheeks. Suddenly the door to her unit opened, and Ashe whirled around to see several mavericks entering the room. Galleons, a common threat she'd encountered before rushed inside, their red optics showing their hostility as they stopped in their tracks upon sighting her. Lifting their guns, they prepared to open fire. At once, Ashe found herself lunging towards them, extending the bladed forearms into lethal weapons. Fanning open, crimson plasma shimmering along the cutting edges as she powered herself into the irregular mob._

_Slicing and ripping, Model W laughed as the bladed wings shredded through the mavericks like hot knives through butter, effortlessly cutting through even their tough armor. Revelling in Ashe's savagery, Model W fed hungrily upon her hatred of the machines who'd destroyed her home and murdered her family. Dark wings beating, Ashe didn't stop her dance of death until every last maverick had been cut down, lying motionless across the small bedroom in pieces. Their articifial blood dripped thickly off the reddened blades and onto the floor, the rich liquids bleeding into the crimson markings of her armor. Calmly, the silver-haired girl retracted the cutting blades back into her arms, both hers and Model W's bloodlust satiated for now_

_Model W hummed approvingly again, pleased with how its host had reacted instinctively to the threat it showed. Her bitter past and underlying hatred of mavericks stirred ancient memories from long ago that even it had forgotten over the long centuries of dreamless slumber, something in her blood giving the biometal a sense of familiarity that it hadn't felt with its other hosts before. Young and ambitious, Ashe was the perfect biomatch it had been waiting for all these years. Of course, she needed more experience before she could tap into her full potential, much more, but with a bit of work and encouragement, Model W would be restored to full power once again._

_[You are perfection incarnate. With this power, the entire world will bow before your might...] it cooed, feeding the girl images of a land ruled by her hand. Everybody lived to serve her, carrying out her every whim and desire. Wealth beyond imagination surrounded her throne, her subjects loyal and fawning before her might. Instead of the underground base she'd grown up in, instead a palace of utter resplendence, its dazzling beauty shining across the land. Everything she ever wanted and more, Model W would hand it all to her on a silver platter..._

_[But there are those who would stop you from having all this...] the biometal said darkly, the enticing images fading away into nothingness. Her bedroom came back into focus again, and Ashe looked around the drab unit with some disappointment. A soft groan came from nearby, and the dark Mega Man whipped around to see that the mavericks she'd destroyed earlier had somehow morphed into a group of Hunters. Some of them were still alive, begging and pleading for her not to finish them off. Model W reacted instantly, Ashe's arms automatically fanning themselves back out into the deadly blades before she realized what it was she was doing._

_"No, I can't do that. I'm not a murderer!" she gasped, retracting the lethal blades back into her forearms again. She stepped away from their cowering bodies and pressed herself up against the wall, Model W hissing angrily at her disobedience._

_[Hunters, mavericks... what does it matter? You've never accepted anybody opposing you before, why start now?] it asked._

_"This is different. Mavericks kill and hurt people for fun, but Hunters don't do that sort of thing. They fight against irregulars just like we do, to stop them from harming innocent people."_

_[Are you so sure about that...?] the ancient biometal whispered slyly, changing the scene again. Her bedroom unit vanished, this time changing back into the wonderful palace from earlier. Far from appearing lavish, the gorgeous building lay in smoking ruins, her loyal subjects sprawled dead across the ground as scores of Hunters charged into the devastated throne room._

_"There's the maverick! Get her!" they cried, opening fire. Reacting immediately, Ashe extended the bladed forearms as she took to the skies, fleeing the annihilated palace before they could destroy her too. The sounds of the baying mob faded away as she soared into the clouds, her amber eyes gazing sorrowfully down at the ruined lands beneath. Model W hummed thoughtfully, seeming less pleased than earlier but still intrigued by its biomatch's change of personality. Even with such power, the girl was reluctant to hurt others unless forced to. That had to change..._

_[You can't run away forever, Ashe. Once people find out what you really are, they'll come after you. They'll fear your power, desire it for themselves... but you don't have to be afraid. With me by your side, you can have anything you want and nobody will be powerful enough to stop you from having it. You deserve better than hiding away in that desert for the rest of your life...] it said, grinning as the silver-haired girl appeared to consider its words._

_"The Raiders have always looked after me. I don't need this."_

_[Are you so sure? You're not the only one with the power of biometal. The Raiders can't protect you forever, not from beings like them...]_

_"Then I'll protect them instead. I don't need to kill others to get what I want..."_

_Model W laughed coldly, its shard rattling around painfully inside her chest. Behind Ashe, a massive fleet of airships emerged from the clouds, armed and ready for battle._

_[So young and naive. Very well, have it your way for now, but I have a feeling that you'll be considering my methods sooner than you think...] it said as the aerial warships advanced upon the fleeing Mega Man. A tremendous ship soared at their helm, and Ashe recognized its iconic visage immediately. The Grand Nuage; operational base of the legendary Guardians. They were the world's largest resistance, dedicated to protecting the planet and its citizens from maverick outbreaks. Even Legion didn't have authority over them, the group being the world's oldest organization ever since the great apocalypse countless centuries ago._

_The Grand Nuage's main guns fired, ripping through Ashe's form and tearing the armor from her body. Her wings rendered useless, Ashe could only scream as she plummeted towards the earth far below. Down below on the ground, the girl could only watch as packs of mavericks gathered, waiting patiently for her to land as they prepared to finish her off once and for all..._

* * *

><p>"No!" Ashe whispered, jolting awake with a start. The silverette's racing heart slowed down to a regular beat as she stared around the familiar hold she'd fallen asleep in, cold sweat trickling down the back of her neck as she slowly regained her senses. Lethys and Cheryl were arguing about something nearby, while Gerry was yelling at them both to shut up. Their familiar voices soothing her frazzled nerves, the girl relaxed and flopped back against the cool metal wall, rubbing her aching head as she recollected the strange dream.<p>

It had been so vivid, starting off as her oldest memory before morphing into the surreal nightmare that was almost worst than watching her home land being destroyed years ago. Had it really just been a dream, or was Model W screwing around with her mind? The biometal fragment was silent, leaving Ashe alone with her scattered thoughts. Running her palms over her face, the girl breathed a sigh of relief upon feeling the warm flesh of her cheeks. Still normal, not at all like the dark killing machine from before...

**Warning! Warning! Intruders!** _(Megaman Legends OST - Escape From Tower)_

Crimson lights flashed around the airship as the Raider's warning system came online. Swearing angrily, Gerry slammed his fist against the control panel upon seeing what had set the alarm system off.

"Damn it, we're under attack! Not only are mavericks incoming, but some Hunters managed to make it onboard too! They must be after the biometal we found!" he said, as Lethys snatched up his rifle. Cheryl frowned, not looking at all like her gentle self as she too snatched her weapons up from off the floor. Ashe jumped up, running into the cockpit to see what all the commotion was about.

"Alright, Lethys! Cheryl! You two take over manual control, get those guns firing and take down as many of those damn mavericks as you can! I'll go out onto the main deck and take down any irregulars that have already made it onboard. As long as we're locked down tight here, we ought be able to contain the biometal until we're back at the base. Do not let those Hunters get their hands on it either!"

"What about me?" Ashe asked, following Gerry out of the cockpit. The man shook his head and opened up the hold door, the howling winds outside echoing with distant gunfire.

"You stay here where it's safe, Ashe. You're already hurt and I don't want you risking yourself any more if we can help it!"

"But I can look after myself-" she said, as the door slammed shut behind him.

"Don't argue, kid. Just sit tight, we'll take care of those mavericks and be back before you know it!" Cheryl winked from around the corner before vanishing back into the cockpit again. The locks to both doors engaged, leaving Ashe alone in the cargo hold with the biometal container. Sighing heavily, the silver-haired girl flopped against the wall and huffed irritably. Sure, they meant well, but she was strong enough to take after of the problem if only they'd let her...

"Pfft, this sucks..." she whined, the shard of Model W resonating inside of her again upon sensing her annoyance.

* * *

><p><em>Raider Fleet - Main Pathway (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Onslaught - Attack On Guardian)<em>

This mission was much more exciting than Grey originally thought it would be! At first he'd been somewhat nervous, still rattled from his near death experience several days earlier when the strange woman called Pandora chased him out of the strange laboratory he'd woken up. All through the night he ran through the abandoned building, until a giant mechaniloid showed up and almost ended his life there and then. The mavericks he encountered there were very much like the ones here now, attempting to gun down the Hunters as they made their way towards the main airship.

Nicol whistled as Grey gunned down several galleons blocking their path, neatly one-shotting their red orb-like optics one after another. Their purple bodies crumpled to the ground, short-circuiting immediately as the reploid's bullets expertly fried their AI cores. Continuing to fire, Grey soon cleared the path of the hostile irregulars blocking their way. Something about fighting them envigorated him somehow, as though hidden memories of battle were coming back to life as he dodged their attacks and retaliated flawlessly.

"You're a natural, Grey! Just when did you learn to fight so well?" Red asked, as Grey's dark cheeks flushed with pride and uncertainty. He scratched his dusky silver hair awkwardly, unsure of how to answer the man. _When_ exactly had he learned to fight so well?

"Thanks, I guess I'm just a quick learner..." he replied, as the four shrugged and continued along their path. Jumping from airship to airship, their target was soon within sight. However, the bridge they'd intended to travel along had been disconnected, probably by the Raiders in order to prevent the mavericks hordes from getting onto the cargo hold so easily. Lazarus cursed, unable to believe their luck.

"Aww, we're gonna have to find some other way down!" he groaned, the other two men looking around quickly for an alternative route. The distance to the hold was fairly long, probably too long for a single jump, but Grey was emboldened by his earlier successes against the irregular forces and gathered every ounce of strength his body possessed.

"No way, we can make this jump no problem!" the reploid youth yelled, tensing his artificial muscles. The three men watched in shock as the boy leaped, soaring through the skies as he propelled himself forwards. For a moment, Nicol thought he wasn't going to make it, but the men breathed a sigh of relief as Grey's outstretched hands caught the edge of the bridge and hauled himself up onto the deck.

"There, I knew it could be done! Now... Nicol said the biometal would be in the lead airship... so I guess this must be it!" the boy said to himself, running forward a few paces before stopping dead in his tracks. The cargo hold was definitely ahead alright, but the problem was that somebody else had already beaten him to it.

_(Megaman ZX Tunes - Mega Man ZX Tunes - Deep Seated Grudge - Boss Encounter)_

A strange maverick in purple armor towered menacingly over another person dressed in a golden uniform, the irregular's lips pulled back into a cruel sneer as he menaced the man before him. His foe was aiming a gun straight at his face, but the human's hands were shaking so badly that had he fired, he would probably miss even at this close a range. Shoving aggressively, the purple maverick forced the man in the yellow uniform back so hard he stumbled against the hold door behind him, before pinning him against the wall by his throat.

"Fire that gun and you won't live two seconds to regret it, worm. Now get out of my way, I have a package to retrieve."

"G-get away from here, Reaper! You're not taking the biometal and that's that!" the human gasped, struggling to pry the maverick's fingers off from around his throat. 'Reaper' growled irritably at the man's pitiful struggles.

"Enough of this nonsense, you bore me!" the maverick snapped, swinging the man up into the air before clonking his helmet against the door heavily. Instantly knocked out by the blow, Grey watched in shock as the purple maverick merely tossed the man's limp body aside carelessly as though he were nothing but garbage. Gasping at the sight of such brutality, the maverick's attention snapped towards him in an instant, eyeing the reploid youth with cold red eyes.

"It seems that the biometal has attracted a bug. Shoo, pest!" he snapped, as Grey stiffened at the insult.

"What did you just call me? You've got some nerve talking to me like that! You don't look like a Raider... why are you after the biometal?" he asked, as 'Reaper' scowled.

"Don't group me together with those money-hungry Raiders! You're not worthy of the biometal, so why don't you just go away?" he hissed, his fingers twitching as though desiring to bash Grey's head against the wall like he'd done to the other man. The sounds of approaching footsteps caught both their attention, and Grey turned his head to see the other three Hunters finally having made it onto the main airship at last.

"Sorry! We can't do that!" Nicol said, panting heavily. Lazarus and Red paused at the sight of 'Reaper', but didn't seem too concerned by his presence as he wasn't even armed.

"We finally made it, let us join the party!" Lazarus said, as Nicol looked towards Grey cautiously.

"Who the heck is this guy? A Raider? A maverick?" he asked, as Grey pointed at the unconscious man nearby.

"Be careful, guys! He's not just anybody!" the reploid youth said, before 'Reaper' sighed and squeezed something in the palm of his hand.

"How irritating! Okay, prepare to draw your final breath!" the purple-armored maverick hissed, the object in his hand extending into a lethal-looking scythe. Blue plasma energy hummed to life, the deadly blade immediately alerting the Hunters that 'Reaper' was no simple foe. Raising their rifles, they prepared to open fire as the maverick's armored legs tensed. Before he could spring towards them, the sounds of the large cargo hold door opening behind him caught their attention, and all five males turned to see who was coming out.

* * *

><p><em>Cargo Hold - Main Airship<em>

Bored and worried, Ashe sulked inside the dim hold as she guarded the biometal container. The sounds of gunfire outside had only gotten louder before falling silent all of a sudden, and when Gerry didn't immediately come back, her previous annoyance started fading away as concern took hold. Model W pulsed inside, trying to settle her agitated nerves, but the girl remained twitchy as the minutes ticked on by.

It was then that the sound of Cheryl calling out caught her attention, the sound of fists thumping against the cockpit door causing the silver-haired girl to jump up. Running towards the door, she could hear the reploid woman's muffled voice from behind the thick metal door, somehow unable to get out.

"Ashe, something's wrong! We can't get out!" she called, while Lethys struggled to force the door open manually. The locks were jammed for some reason, something else having overrided their programming.

"The mavericks must have disabled our weapons system and communicators. Our ship's guns are also jammed up so we can't take down any more mavericks. Go out onto the deck and meet up with Gerry! You ought to be able to find the source of the jamming and disengage the lockdown manually that way!"

"Right!" Ashe said, running over towards the cargo hold door. Thankfully the exit wasn't jammed up, and it only took a moment for the silver-haired girl to input the command code and unlock it. As the door grinded open, the female Raider stepped out onto the deck, the sunlight from above blinding her momentarily until her sight cleared and a strange sight met her eyes.

There was Gerry alright, knocked out cold and sprawled across the deck floor with a strange maverick standing over him. Before the purple-armored maverick were a group of four individuals, their orange uniforms immediately indicating them as the Hunters detected on their radars earlier. The hairs of the back of Ashe's neck bristled, both in shock at seeing what had happened to Gerry and that the four men resembled the Hunters from her dreams so closely...

"What did you guys do to Gerry?" she snarled, immediately unnerved. Model W throbbed inside of her, awakening as it sensed its host's distress. At once, the maverick stared hard at her, his crimson eyes wide with surprise.

"Ah, so the thief of the biometals shows herself at last..." he said quietly, though it sounded more as though he were talking to himself than to her. Ashe stared back, vaguely recognizing him from vivid tales told around the desert campfires in which several Raiders had spoken of a powerful maverick resembling the Grim Reaper, along with a white-armored female they called 'The Witch'. His appearence fitted the descriptions she'd overheard; purple and red armor, a wicked-looking scythe and a grinning skull-like helmet. Were those wild stories true after all?

Losing all interest in the Hunters, the Reaper advanced towards Ashe aggressively. The silver-haired girl stood her ground, her emerald eyes directly locked onto the blazing ruby orbs of her foe's.

"Hand over those biometals you stole or I'll toss your friend overboard!" the maverick hissed. Ashe growled back, her irises burning like green fire.

"You wouldn't dare!" she spat defiantly. To show he wasn't kidding, the Reaper snatched Gerry up by the throat and dangled him up into the air teasingly. Swinging the limp body around, the maverick looked towards the edge of the airship meaningfully. Even though they weren't at such a high altitude, a fall from this height could easily kill.

"You have until the count of three to tell me where you've hidden those biometals before I let go and it's 'bye bye boyfriend'! One! Two...!"

_(Mega Man Zero 4 - Crash IV - Mid Boss Theme)_

Prometheus didn't get to the count of three. Ashe lunged, moving so unnaturally fast that to the onlookers behind the Reaper, it was as if time had stopped for all except her. Within a split second, she'd crossed the cargo bridge and collided into Prometheus as hard as she could, sending him skidding backwards several inches. Dropping Gerry in surprise, Prometheus was stunned as this savage little human attacked him so fearlessly. For years he'd enjoyed how his reputation preceded him, the mere sight of him able to incite terror into even the Guardians... so it was a shock when this little female, smaller even than Pandora, could shove him around so effortlessly.

"Why you...!" he gasped, as the girl's powerful legs kicked up and booted him backwards some more. The Hunters darted aside as the combatants passed by, not wanting to get in the way at all as both the maverick and the girl began fighting hand to hand. The silver-haired girl was way too close for him to use his scythe effectively, so Prometheus focused on fighting back with his own fists. While he was bigger and stronger, Ashe was much quicker and smaller, her wiry frame curving and weaving around his bulkier form easily. Her furious green eyes burned so brightly they appeared amber in the evening light, the Model W fragment she was holding somewhere _(where was she hiding it?)_ resonating so fiercely with her anger that his own core reacted.

Shaking his head after a nasty blow caught his chin, Prometheus jumped back to gain some distance so he could try using his scythe, but Ashe immediately followed, not allowing him the chance to use his weapon _or_ escape. She was absolutely riled by his previous threat, and after the Buckfire fiasco from earlier, there was no way she was allowing _this_ maverick to get away scot-free.

Grey and the Hunters watched the scuffle unfold, absolutely fascinated by the unexpected turn of events.

"Wow, look at her go!" Lazarus cheered, watching her chase the purple maverick across the deck.

"Hit him again, girl!" Red laughed, as Grey whirled upon both men.

"Shut up and stop laughing, can't you she needs help?" the reploid youth snapped, appalled by their behaviour. He'd seen what Prometheus had done to that poor man, and for this young girl to attack so senselessly, he knew it was only going to end up badly for her...

"Pfft, I'd say he's the one that needs help now!" Nicol said airly, as Prometheus was forced to jump onto the roof of the airship to get away from the enraged woman. Grey frowned, wondering if perhaps he could be right. As soon as the maverick landed on the roof, Ashe stared up at him while Prometheus grinned at her playfully, challenging her to come on up after him. He'd been bored stiff ever since Vent and Aile had defeated Serpent years ago and halted Master Albert's plans temporarily. The endless months of collecting Model W fragments afterwards had been dull work, but this was the most entertaining fight he'd gotten himself into for a long time - with an unarmed human girl of all things!

His amusement only seemed to rile the girl up even more, her golden eyes savage and cruel as she anticipated on how she was going to climb up after her quarry.

"Aww, what's wrong? Maybe I should have been more gentle with your boyfriend?" he taunted, leering unpleasantly down at her.

It worked. Clambering up the smooth metal panels, the silver-haired girl leaped up onto the cargo roof to attack again.

"Shut up, _maverick!_" she snarled, kicking him hard in the leg. His thick armor absorbed most of the impact, her blows speedy but rather ineffective. How endearing! She was a handful to say the least, and definitely had Model W on her somewhere for its core resonated along with her fury... but where was she hiding the damnable thing, he didn't know.

**[Countdown timer warning: Two hundred and sixty seconds until lifespan expires, two hundred and fifty nine...]**

Curse that blasted lifespan! Prometheus didn't have the time to obtain both Model W and look for Model A, not with this psychotic little hellcat on his heels. Considering his options, he decided to finish up with his fun for now. He and Pandora could always recover Model A later after they'd rested and recharged, but first he had to subdue this feisty whelp before getting Model W off her safely.

Ashe froze, anticipating an attack when Prometheus' armor changed colours, but his true intent had only been to distract her. Fading into nothingness, he tapped into the Model P fragment of his core and teleported behind her, tackling her to the ground. Immediately the two wrestled, rolling across the cargo roof before Prometheus got the upper hand and pinned her down with his weight. Struggling to kick him off, Ashe's heart raced, her adrenaline and fury beginning to die down after burning so much energy that day. Prometheus held on, letting her tire herself out before making his finishing move. As soon as she stopped to take a breath, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her heavily against the floor underneath them, knocking her senseless momentarily. Quickly the maverick snatched her up into his arms and teleported back to the hidden laboratory, leaving the forgotten spectators staring as both combatants vanished into thin air.

Nicol blinked at the battle's strange ending, before remembering what they were there for.

"Quick, let's grab that biometal before anybody else shows up!"

"Wait, what about that girl?" Grey said, as Lazarus and Red dashed towards the still-open cargo hold.

"Ain't no helping her now! Once Reaper sets his eyes on his prey, they're doomed. Just be thankful it wasn't us he wanted today!" Red shouted over the rushing winds.

"..." Grey remained silent, but followed after the men as they quickly inside the open doorway and located the small container holding the biometal. Dragging it out, they ran back outside past the man in the yellow uniform who was finally beginning to wake up and towards the edge of the ship. Dialling his communicator, Nichol signalled a mechaniloid carrier down and dropped the biometal container onto it. The four men jumped onboard quickly to return to their own airship before either the mavericks or the Raiders could chased after their prize.

As the Hunters jumped back inside their own ship, Grey rushed to the window he'd been looking out of earlier and stared back at the vanishing Raider fleet, wishing desperately he'd had the nerve to help that fearless girl against the maverick. Now she was gone, and suffering goodness knows what at his hands. Disappointed in himself, the silver-haired reploid slouched and sighed, dishearted at how the mission had ended.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man Zero 3 OST - Guarder Room - Boss Appearance)<br>_

Upon losing the biometal, the maverick invaders withdrew and abandoned their assault on the Raider fleet. Able to disengage the locks at last, Lethys and Cheryl ran into the empty hold and out onto the deck, searching for their missing team mates. Outside, Gerry was propped up against the wall, holding his head in his hands. His helmet had a nasty-looking crack across the golden surface as though he'd been struck hard by something. Cheryl rushed to his side immediately, helping the dizzy man up onto his feet as Lethys rushed back into the hold for something.

"Shit! The biometal's gone!" he called, running back onto the deck again with tearful eyes. Cheryl started, wondering who'd taken their prize when Gerry mumbled something.

"That's not all that's gone..." he sighed, as Lethys complained again.

"There's more bad news? What's worse than losing our treasure?" he whined, as Gerry slumped to the floor.

"It's Ashe. The Reaper came... and he took her away..."

This time is was Cheryl who paled. The Reaper was a well known threat to the Raiders, and had been known to kill their members before. If he'd taken Ashe, there was no telling what he could do to her, especially if 'The Witch' was allied with him. Gerry groaned again, wondering how they were going to explain this failure. Even though he made it clear he wasn't her adoptive father, Wolff cared about Ashe a lot and made it very specific to them all that her safety was a top priority at all times. Now they'd lost the biometal, and their youngest member was missing in action. Lethys howled; Wolff was going to flip his shit when he heard that the Reaper himself had been the one to kidnap her.

"Shit, the boss man's gonna be pissed big time..." he whispered, as Cheryl punched the wall furiously. A dent remained on the strong metal as the reploid woman's dark eyes softened worriedly.

"Please be alright, kid..." she whispered, hoping against hope that the silver-haired girl was still alive out there. Outside, the sun began dipping below the land's horizon, the evening skies painted a sinister red as the sun began to set. Checking back on their surveillance footage, the Raiders confirmed that it had been the Hunters to take back the biometal, but it only caused them to wonder why the Reaper had bothered taking Ashe at all.

They knew it could only mean one thing; that things were even worse than they thought.

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Kind of a boring chapter, sorry about that. I wanted to focus a little on Ashe's past and how she came to be with the Raiders since her upbringing was never really mentioned much in-game despite it being an important factor behind her character and personality. Her appearance is also slightly different in this story; while her uniform is similiar to her canon outfit, there are a few differences other than the colours involved. As the Raiders do not receive funding from Legion (or other legal entities), physical protection is much more of a necessity as the majority of their missions are considerably more hazardous. Ashe's uniform consists of both a jacket and trousers, keeping the majority of her body protected. Her hair is much shorter as she often wears her helmet, having to keep her identity concealed. According to Legion, Ashe perished as a child during the maverick raid that claimed her village and technically doesn't exist on their records. Of course, the Raiders are a highly illegal group dedicated to obtaining technology and wealth, so that's another reason for their members to be keeping their identities a secret.<p>

**A big thank you to Zohaku, Twilight. exe and cute assassin for the lovely reviews! I greatly appreciate your thoughts on this and the time you took to read + give feedback. :)**


	3. The Will of Model W

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything from the Mega Man ZX series, simple as that.  
>Summary: Fate clashes with destiny in an alternate world as Ashe becomes a Chosen One, but not with the Model A we all know and love. When Model W decides to choose her as its heir, is she destined to follow her ancestor's path and become the greatest threat the world has seen yet, or can she fight against her evil heritage and overcome the will of Model W?<p>

* * *

><p><em>Mysterious Lab - Undersea Base (Mega Man ZX Advent Tunes - The Chosen One - Theme Of Albert)<em>

Hanging from dark coils overhead, the countless Model W scraps watched as the shadowy figure of Master Albert paced around the dim laboratory far below. The collective consciousness within each fragment stirred upon sensing their creator's growing unease, listening carefully as the man spoke aloud of the data he'd just received regarding the thefts of biometals Model A and W.

The results were... interesting to say the least. Grey, who was thought to have perished after escaping Pandora's clutches had reappeared on the scene again alive and well, teaming up with the Hunters to take Model A back from the Raiders. Later, the boy successfully merged with the rogue biometal after Prometheus and Pandora had gone to reclaim it, the reploid twins unable to dispose of the youth quite so easily. Although Grey's merging process had been successful, the memory locks placed on Model A in the event that unauthorized usage occured remained, leaving both the defective and his biometal blissfully unaware as to their true purpose in his plans. Buckfire had then been destroyed, though the Gaxelleroid's destruction was no real loss considering it had been his cowardly actions which had started this whole mess off in the first place.

Albert ceased his pacing, staring upwards at the multiple biometal shards hanging overhead. It was the theft of one of their numbers which caused him more concern than the reploid boy's reappearance. While Grey using Model A had been in the original workings of his plan, the other newcomer's appearance was completely unexpected and Albert was unsure as to how she would affect the Game's outcome. Were the girl matched with another biometal, it probably wouldn't have been so much of a concern, but the Sage hadn't anticipated on somebody entering the Game of Destiny with a piece of the winning prize _itself_. It broke all the rules, but if the ultimate biometal had truly accepted her for its own reasons, then he would have to concede to its will... for now.

Albert scanned Prometheus' reports again, rereading the information that his creation had sent. Though the reploid had managed to capture the girl responsible for the theft of the biometals, there was a problem in retrieving said stolen fragment. Not only did Model W react positively towards the girl as its host, but the biometal shard resisted all attempts at forcible extraction. Further examination revealed where the missing fragment actually was, _embedded_ deep inside of the girl's heart. What should have been a mortal injury meant that the core of the ancient biometal was nestled within her own, and was keeping her alive by acting as the organ in which it had fatally pierced.

Hacking into Legion's personal database, Albert poured over the collective information of all the world's citizens, desperately trying to find out who she was. There were no records on her anywhere at all, the identity of the young female a complete mystery to the system. It was then that an idea hit him, and modifying the system's programming ever so slightly, the man crossmatched the girl's DNA with those who had long since passed away. The database scanned across the vast records for several minutes, passing over countless names until at last it came up with _his_ own, or rather that of his last known descendant. Albert stared at the woman's face across the screen in shock, recognizing her immediately.

The girl's closest genetic match was that of a young mother who'd died in her early thirties, killed during a maverick raid roughly ten years ago. Not only that, but the biometal thief resembled the dead woman so closely that even without the genetic coding proving it before him, the physical resemblence was uncanny; silver hair, green eyes, delicate features and pale skin. The girl wasn't just the woman's genetic match, she was _his_ genetic match also. The woman's daughter, the offspring of his descendant.

"So you really did survive that night long ago. All these years I believed my natural genetic line extinguished, yet the hand of fate has seen fit to bring you home to me at last..." Albert whispered to himself, grinning wildly. There was no other reasonable explanation, the Sage finally understanding why Model W had taken to her so.

In the course of a single day, the man's carefully laid out plans had been ruined, and yet he was oddly delighted about it. Not only had Grey reappeared, becoming Model A's Chosen, but the daughter of his last descendant had survived to become the Chosen of Model W. The man pondered this unusual turn of events and what their participation in the Game of Destiny could mean. With Grey and Model A working together, it was only a matter of time before the youth unlocked the biometal's data and learned of his true purpose. Hopefully he would accept his destiny and take over in Albert's place to fulfill the last stage of his ultimate plan. With the girl as Model W's biomatch, there was no telling how powerful she could become once finally megamerged...

It was then that an idea came to him. Should Grey prove his worth and become stronger, Albert would consider the defective's potential again, flawed as he was. With Model W choosing the girl of its own accord, he was blameless, and could remain safely at Legion Headquarters to carry on working behind the scenes in order to guide both their paths however he wished. The other pawns in the Game of Destiny could only hope to fall; let them carry on with collecting the remaining Model W fragments, he had far greater plans in store for his special two.

His artificial lips stretching out into a thin smile, Albert laughed as he settled himself comfortably onto his throne. This Game of Destiny could turn out to be far more interesting than he'd originally anticipated, and all he had to do was sit tight and wait for the right moment to act. As long as he was patient and didn't blow his cover, it was only a matter of time before all the pawns fell into place. What did it matter if it were Model A or Model W who succeeded? Whichever Mega Man won, the end result would always be the same; in that _he_ would gain control over every Model W fragment and wield the power to reset the world at last.

* * *

><p><em>Mysterious Lab - Island Base<em> _(Mega Man Zero 4 OST - Return to Zero II - Prologue)_

Feeling as though she were sinking into the depths of the coldest ocean, Ashe slowly began to regain an awareness of sorts. Her head ached terribly; even thinking hurt a lot. As the throbbing inside her skull began to subside, the silverette struggled to recall earlier events. Flashes of memory passed by, vague images gradually coming into focus as her jumbled mind began piecing itself back together again. The island ruins, Buckfire, Model W and boarding the airship. Afterwards the nightmare, then the maverick attack on the airship before purple and red armor overwhelmed her...

_"... osen One... Destiny... Mega Men..."_

That voice... it sounded oddly familiar. Ashe twitched, struggling to open her eyes but found herself too weak even to manage that. Still, she could feel, and sensed that she was being suspended in a cold nutrient-based fluid. An oxygen mask was clamped across her face to ensure that she didn't drown in the cool liquid, the noisy bubbles emerging from the apparatus whenever she breathed. Physical restraints had been placed around her limbs in order to prevent her from moving around, the thick metallic bands holding her still. Unease settled in; just how long had she been trapped here? Was she injured and being cared for by her comrades, or was she being held captive by enemies? Outside, the voices rose again as cold liquid hissed into her veins. Ashe's thoughts begun to drift once again, before slipping back into the silence from which she'd awoken...

Outside the healing capsule, Pandora watched the slumbering girl within. The female reploid had been staring intently for the last half hour, studying every movement she made with fascination. Prometheus had also been watching the girl, though more to simply monitor her status than out of any particular interest. He rubbed his chin absent-mindedly as he put her under again, his artificial flesh still sore from when the feisty brat had clocked him one.

"So brother... who is she?" Pandora whispered at last, as Prometheus turned his attention back towards his sibling.

"I'm not too sure yet, Pandora. There's no data records on her anywhere at all. Even Albert doesn't know who she is, although according to this machine, she's genetically compatible with biometal."

"So she really is a Chosen One after all...?"

"That's right, she is. I'm not sure why, but who are we to question these things? Still, can you believe that Model W fragment is actually _inside_ of her? How _that_ happened is what I'd love to find out."

"I don't understand... Model W has never normally accepted another person before... not even us... what makes her so special?" Pandora whispered, as her male comrade shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'll tell you this-" Prometheus said before the doors nearby hissed open. Cutting off his sentence, both reploids immediately fell silent as several people entered the room. The participants of the Game of Destiny had arrived at last.

The first person was a tall woman with spiked red and brown hair, and was the only female of the small group. With her eyes as red as her uniform, Atlas was an imposing figure wherever she went, her powerful muscles rippling beneath her bodysuit as she moved. Prometheus smirked as her heavy eyebrows narrowed upon sighting him, knowing that she didn't like either him or his sister very much and didn't care to hide it.

Following behind her was a much smaller youth, a reploid teenager with shaggy blue hair. Enshrouded in a thick hoodie that seemed too large for his skinny frame, Thetis was a stark contrast to the powerfully-built woman before him. Unlike her however, his features were warm and friendly, and his crimson eyes sparkled warmly upon sighting the reploid twins.

Next came a tall human male with silver-green hair, looking as though he'd rather be somewhere else that moment. Like Thetis, Aeolus also appeared slender but naturally so. Elegant and refined, the young man would have been considered highly attractive were it not for the disdainful sneer marring his otherwise handsome features. Bearing a haughty expression, Aeolus ignored the others as he strolled into the laboratory.

The last person to enter the room was another reploid male, wearing a thick red scarf around his lower face to conceal his facial features. While his scarf was brightly coloured, everything else about him seemed grim and forboding, from his spiked hair to the thick clothing that he wore. Across his body, the dark garments covering his body made his physical structure too difficult to determine at a brief glance, but underneath his uniform, the reploid's body appeared muscular and strong. Emotionlessly the reploid followed after the other three youths, allowing nobody to get behind him at any time.

"Hi Prometheus, hello Pandora! Oh, and who is this?" Thetis asked cheerfully as he ran over to the capsule. Standing up on his tiptoes to better view the girl within, Thetis pressed his face up against the glass and peered inside. Immediately the others followed suit; Atlas, Aeolus and Siarnaq also crowding around the capsule to see who this newcomer was. Prometheus leaned back against the wall easily, keeping an eye on their hands to ensure they didn't touch anything they weren't supposed to.

"That, my friend, is your new opponent in the Game of Destiny. I won't tell you what biometal she's got, but you're in for a world of fun when it's time to fight!"

"Humph. She doesn't look so special!" Atlas sneered as she turned away.

"Why is she strapped down in there like that?" Thetis asked as he gently tapped the glass.

"I don't like the looks of her at all..." Aeolus muttered, sniffing disdainfully at her scruffy appearance.

"CROSSCHECKING DATA REFERENCES... CURRENT ATTIRE SUGGESTS HUMANOID FEMALE IS AFFLICTED WITH THE RAIDER FACTION..." Siarnaq exclaimed, his monotonous voice cutting above the other three. Atlas and Thetis quietened as Aeolus turned towards the cloaked male, the human's expression incredulous upon hearing the reploid's words.

"A Raider? How did some petty mercenary manage to obtain a biometal?" he asked, before Thetis piped up.

"We're all very different people, Aeolus. When you look at us individually, it's not hard to believe that a Raider could get ahold of a biometal."

"Really, I never would have guessed..." Atlas sneered as she rolled her eyes.

Thetis was right, however. The four youths who had been drawn into the Game of Destiny all had very different upbringings from their locations around the world, each living very different lives from one another. Aeolus was the son of an intelligent scientist who governed over Legion's equality laws, her career based on developing the latest technology for improving humanoid bodies. He'd grown up in the lap of luxury, a single child who wanted for nothing and had spent the majority of his childhood years being educated on taking over his mother's position.

Atlas was an ex-soldier, having battled for years against the mavericks who'd overrun her home country. She was the oldest of them all, and the most experienced fighter with Model F. Hot-blooded and aggressive, the redhead had been the sole survivor in the longest-running maverick war that century and was well known throughout the world for her prowess in unarmed combat. Even without a biometal at her command, Atlas was perfectly capable of taking on just about any threat and feared nothing.

Thetis had come from a rather humble background, living as a regular civilian up until very recently. He'd always been very enthusiastic about the environment, especially the beautiful seas in which he'd grown up beside. Thanks to the growing numbers of maverick outbreaks, more and more people were living together in large cities for protection, befouling the land and dirtying the once-beautiful waves with their filth.

Siarnaq... well, the details of his past were very sketchy, but it was believed that the tight-lipped reploid used to be a Hunter, working as either an assassin or bounty hunter in regards to dangerous mavericks and other outlaws. Years ago he'd been betrayed and left for dead by his own team mates, and had adopted a strange personality ever since. Exactly what happened, nobody knew, but many suspected that his face was as badly scarred as his past. Cold and emotionless, Siarnaq spoke little and when he did, it was always in a plain robotic voice, as though he considered himself nothing more than a simple mechaniloid.

And now here was this young girl, a nameless renegade from the hot desert sands of the mysterious Outlands. She was small, as short as Thetis and not very much older it seemed either. Despite her petite size, the silverette appeared athletic and well-proportioned, not appearing overly muscular like Atlas or as skinny as the reploid teen. Her silvery hair was cut short; were it longer and she dressed up in a nicer uniform, even Aeolus would have considered her attractive.

"Hmm... she's pretty..." Thetis muttered, earning a disdainful sniff from Atlas who'd overheard his comment.

"What's her name?" Aeolus asked, and Prometheus shrugged, suddenly remembering that he didn't know what she was called either.

"No idea, she never said."

"Whatever, she's got no chance of winning."

"Don't count yourself a winner just yet, Atlas. You've all yet to face each other in battle and Mega Men are much stronger foes than simple mavericks. You've also yet to meet the final participant in the game; he's just as interesting as our new friend here, I assure you..." Prometheus said before one of the machines bleeped nearby. Pandora reached it first, downloading the mission data that Master Albert had just sent for them. The four youths watched with interest as the reploid siblings muttered to each other, hoping to get a hint as to who was pulling the strings behind the scene.

"Mega Man Model A is on the move... we're to keep an eye on him and see how he handles his new biometal..." Pandora said before Prometheus turned towards the waiting youngsters with a grin.

"Things are moving more quickly than we determined. The final player is already on the move, beginning his search for the remaining Model W fragments. I would suggest getting to know him first before taking him on, he's a much trickier foe than you might believe when first looking at him. Take your time learning each other's weaknesses before waiting for the right moment to strike, because you never know when somebody else will step in to finish off the job!"

With that, Prometheus and Pandora teleported out of the laboratory, leaving Ashe alone to slumber on inside her capsule. Staring at the healing chamber thoughtfully, the four youths hesitated for several moments before deciding to show themselves out. The girl was no challenge right now, and finishing her off at this point would have been unsporting. There was plenty of time to take her out in the future, after they'd met the final player named Mega Man Model A, that was.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man Zero 3 OST - Dark Elf)<em>

As soon as it sensed that the others had left, the shard of Model W roused itself from its false slumber. Unlike its biological host, the biometal fragment was unaffected by the calming sedatives and had been very much aware of what had transpired. While it knew of Prometheus' and Pandora's underlying treachery, it sensed that the reploid siblings had no apparant desire to harm what they saw as a kindred spirit. However, the other four were a very different matter. Even from here, Model W could sense their growing resentment at two additional players in the Game of Destiny, further cutting their chances of obtaining the mythical biometal as their grand prize... not that it would accept them anyway.

Yes, it was only a matter of time before they returned, the temptation of taking out such an easy opponent too irresistable to pass up, and Model W did _not _want its biomatch asleep and vulnerable when that happened. Prodding the girl mentally, the ancient biometal struggled to rouse her, the heavy sedatives having taken their toll on her delicate physiology.

_[Wake up... wake up Ashe...]_ Model W called, smiling internally as Ashe responded to its words. Her fingers twitching, Model W continued to assist her actions, purging the medication from her system as it filled her body with new strength. The alarms on the monitors beeped shrilly as her false 'heartrate' went into overdrive, the malignant biometal taking control over her actions. Crimson energy crackled around her body, Model W effortlessly snapping off the thick restraints that held its biomatch captive. Thrashing around inside of their prison, it then struck at the thick glass, causing a large crack to spider across the material. Another strike caused it to shatter entirely, the alarms of the monitoring system flashing red as the healing fluids drained away. At once the clear panels dropped, dropping Ashe's body to the wet ground. Its work done, Model W withdrew back into the recess of her mind, giving the silverette back control over her body.

Gasping for air, Ashe yanked off the oxygen mask clamped around her face, breathing heavily as she inhaled the laboratory's chilled air. Head aching, the girl rolled upright as the capsule's alarm system continued to shriek piercingly, believing its patient dead after she'd pulled free. At once the lab doors flew open, several mavericks rushing inside to see what the cause of the disturbance was. Her blood chilling as cold as the room, Ashe froze as the galleons sighted her and sprinted over to subdue the escaping girl. Steel fingers clamping down on her body, the Model W user struggled wildly as the mavericks attempted to force her to the ground. Flooding her body with energy, Model W tossed their bodies aside and started running, Ashe stunned as her body moved without thought or control.

_[No time to explain, we're getting out of here before trouble shows up!] _said Model W, its tone urgent and cold. After what had just happened, Ashe saw no reason not to believe its words and allowed it to decide where to go. The sounds of the recovering mavericks could be heard beeping angrily amongst themselves back inside the lab. Taking a random path, Model W sprinted down the corridor and around the corner, outrunning the spawning numbers of hostile forces it couldn't help but attract. Thankfully its biomatch was young and strong, her lithe body capable of outrunning even the quickest of irregulars. Years of training in the harsh desert sands had given Ashe an edge most people her age didn't possess, the teen incredibly fit for her years.

Clearing several jumps, Model W clambered up the wall and into the next area, looking for the quickest shortcut out of this place. The numbers of mavericks were only generating by the minute, confusing its senses as it tried to figure out where they needed to go. While it doubted that the mavericks would try to seriously harm the girl, it didn't want to chance that happening, particularly if the other four youths were still nearby. If they were still around, they would overhear the commotion no matter where they were inside the building and attack...

Nearby the sounds of battle had caught Thetis' sharp ears, the shaggy-haired youth turning back with a gasp as he spotted the silverette running down the distant corridor. A number of mavericks were chasing after her, doing all they could to stop her short of gunning her down. Atlas poked her head around the corner, having also overheard the commotion before sighting the fleeing girl.

"Ah, it's the brat from earlier! It looks like those mavericks are having fun chasing her!" the redhead grinned, her cruel eyes bright with amusement.

"We could probably get rid of her now before she becomes a threat..." Aeolus said thoughtfully, causing the other three to look up at him.

"Prometheus will get mad," Thetis chided, narrowing his eyes. Although the reploid didn't exactly say that they weren't allowed to fight her yet, the blue-haired boy assumed that there would at least be some fairness in the game, with the participants fighting against each other one-on-one when both players were good and ready. To attack right now with mavericks on her tail and not knowing anything... it seemed downright unfair to go after her so soon.

"He never said that we couldn't, and since she's awake she's fair game!" Atlas reasoned. Aeolus and Siarnaq nodded, echoing their agreement silently. Thetis hesitated, biting his lip anxiously.

"Oh... alright, but make it quick for her," he said at last, before the four youths ran towards the other end of the corridor in order to intercept the newcomer before she could make her escape.

* * *

><p><em>Mysterious Lab - Reception Area (Mega Man Zero 4 OST - Sleeping Beast - Fenri Lunaedge's Stage)<br>_

Her muscles aching, Ashe huddled in the shadows of the small room as the mavericks rushed on past her hiding place. Seconds later they disappeared back into the winding depths of the building, leaving her alone at last to catch her breath. Panting from exertion and lack of energy, the silverette responded to Model W's urges and crept out of her small hiding place, back-tracking to an earlier passage they'd been forced to skip.

Unfortunately this corridor only led to one large room, its passage lengthy and sprawling as both biometal and biomatch ran down its path as quietly as possible to reach the dead end on the other side. Resembling an odd reception area, there was no other exit out of the room other than an inactive transerver point that required energy crystals to reboot. Above glowed a domed glass roof, showing the beautiful night sky overhead. Moonlight shone down into the dimly lit room, giving the reception area a sinister look despite its welcoming furbishings.

The sounds of footsteps nearby caught Ashe's attention, causing the girl to whirl around and prepare for action. However, four strange youths with unfriendly expressions appeared, not looking at all like the mavericks she was expecting. Before she could settle down and ask who they were, each of the teenagers clutched at something in their palms of their hands, immediately morphing into armored warriors.

_[Mega Men!]_ Model A thought aloud, causing Ashe to gasp. They must have been the other biomatches that Model W had warned her of, beings like her who could use biometals to transform into the killing machines like the one she'd turned into during that nightmare.

"End of the line, Raider!" Atlas sneered, flames encircling her powerfully-armored form. Thumping her Megaton Crushers together eagerly, Ashe trembled as the entire room rattled under the force of her blow.

"You're not fit to become the Mega Man King!" Aeolus said, pink electricity crackling around his form. The arid stench of ozone assaulted her senses, as did the energy rippling off his body which caused her hair to stand on end.

"Don't worry, this'll be over sooner than you can blink!" Thetis called, shards of ice sparkling around his armored form. The coldness rolling off his body caused worse goosebumps than the energy emanating from Aeolus and Model H, and Ashe stepped back, staring at each of them in turn.

"W-who are you all of you, and what do you want with me?" she asked.

Stepping out of his hiding place in the shadows, Siarnaq's hand moved. A stream of digital blades flew towards the girl's jugular, the reploid intending to kill her outright or at the very least paralyze her. Although he attacked from behind, the silver-haired girl moved so quickly that the Model P user could scarely comprehend what had happened. One moment the blades were flying towards her, the next she was gone and their points embedded in the surface of the material behind her harmlessly. His eyes widened; it had been years since he'd missed a target, and this girl had dodged his attack perfectly - when he was megamerged no less!

"Clever, but not clever enough!" Atlas jeered, jumping forwards. Swinging her Megaton Crushers down, Atlas fumbled as the lithe silverette rolled between her muscular legs and narrowly avoided getting her head mulched into the ground. The room trembled under the force of Atlas' blow as the redhead struck the ground, the heavy punch warping the metallic panelling beneath their feet.

Thetis jumped forwards, swiping at the girl with his halberd. He could see the situation rapidly spinning out of control, and honestly didn't want the girl to suffer a prolonged death. Yet he too started as the nameless Raider curved and weaved around his slashing blade effortlessly, the Model L user unable to leave a mark on her.

Leaping aside, Ashe attempted to sprint past him before Aeolus dashed overhead, dropping down in front of her to block her exit. Crossing his blades in an X-motion, the Model H user herded the silver-haired girl back into the reception area and up against the wall. Closing ranks around her; Atlas, Thetis and Siarnaq crowded the silverette into the corner of the room, their weapons at the ready to finish her off once and for all. Green eyes flashing amber in the dim light, Ashe's upper lip curled in fear and anger as the four pressed her even tighter against the wall.

"Some Mega Man you're supposed to be, you can't even megamerge yet! You're far too weak to join _our_ Game of Destiny!" Atlas spat, stepping forwards a pace too close

***WHAM***

before the silver-haired girl's fist lashed out, striking the Model F user in her face. Even though a Mega Man's armor protected them from far greater damage, a hard blow to her unarmored nose hurt a _lot. _A string of unmentionables flew from the redhead's lips as she backed away, clamping both palms over her streaming nose. Aeolus smirked, amused that the brutish woman's ego had finally been taken down a peg.

"So you're a little stronger than we thought. Not a problem, the four of us will deal with you accordingly," he said dryly, holding up his twin sabres.

"TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, FOUR TO ONE. OPPONENT'S CHANCE OF SUCCESS, ESTIMATED TO BE NIL..." Siarnaq stated coldly, also holding up with blades.

"Yeah, we're not tolerating newbies this late into the game. You're finished!" Thetis said, his eyes narrowing unhappily.

Atlas garbled something, although Ashe was pretty damn sure that whatever she had to say wasn't a friendly word of encouragement. Before anybody could do anything else, Aeolus shoved Ashe up against the wall forcefully and plunged one of his sabers directly into her chest, sinking the plasma blade into the soft tissue of her heart inside her ribcage. Withdrawing the blade immediately, the Model H user caught Ashe's shuddering body before it could fall to the ground, instead lying her limp form across the metallic floor gently.

"Is she dead?" Thetis whispered several moments later, gazing down at her still body. She certainly looked it, her golden eyes vacant and dim. Atlas rubbed her own eyes, finally able to see again after the stinging tears subsided.

"Aeolus, you're such a bastard! I wanted to do her in," the redhead complained as the silver-haired male rolled his eyes carelessly.

"You were all taking too long. Unlike some people, I have other business I must finish this evening."

Siarnaq crouched down beside Ashe's body, his fingers carefully pressing down on her bloodied neck.

"TARGET'S HEART RATE AND RESPIRATORY ABILITIES HAVE CEASED TO FUNCTION - CONCLUSION - TARGET SUCCESSFULLY ANNILATED."

"I guess that's that then..." Thetis muttered, feeling disappointed at the girl having to die, but also a little glad that there was one less foe to stand against. Aeolus hovered, the silver-haired girl being the first life he'd ever taken - and was unsure of how he felt about that exactly. The girl hadn't done anything _wrong_ in particular, being drawn into the Game just like them, but an enemy was an enemy and the sooner she was dealt with the better. Still, he crouched down and carefully closed her staring eyes, giving her that much respect in death at least.

He looked up, tensing as the others stared at him before looking at one another warily. It had just occured to them that they would have to kill each other like this if they ever wanted to win the Game of Destiny, obtaining the fabled Model W which would make their every desire come true.

"We should probably go before Prometheus gets back..." Thetis muttered, breaking the tension as the others agreed that they'd probably overstayed their welcome by now. As they turned to leave, the room rumbled, causing the three males to stare at Atlas in confusion. The redhead shrugged innocently as the building trembled again, the dim lights around the reception area flickering as the power begun to short out. A soft moan caught their attention, the four youths whirling around in shock as the fingers of the deceased girl began to twitch.

"Impossible!" Aeolus whispered, stepping back a pace.

Ashe was _moving_, her limbs sliding across the floor as the silverette struggled to stand back up onto her feet again. Lifting her upper body up, the four watched in astonishment as the bloodied hole that the Model H user had left in her chest began glowing red, liquid light pouring out of the mortal wound and onto the metallic flooring below. The fatal injury was healing before their very eyes, her flesh sealing over as though nothing had ever happened. A cold chuckle wheezed out of the silverette's throat, her head lifting slightly to reveal crazed golden eyes.

Coughing for air, the four youths watched in horror as the battered silverette finally staggered back up onto her feet, clutching a bloodied palm over the healing injury.

_"You've... given me quite... the scratch..." _she hissed viciously, sounding as if two people were speaking at once. Her eyes now glowed gold in the darkness, the entire room trembling as if shaking from her cold laughter. Aeolus and Thetis stiffened as the bizarre scene unfolded before their eyes, though Atlas and Siarnaq were made of sterner stuff and continued to look on, not quite able to understand what was going on. Ashe threw her head back and laughed at their confusion.

**"If you idiots can megamerge, then so can I!" **she roared, the room now shaking furiously as though an earthquake had taken hold.

_(Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero TELOS - Curse of Vile )_

"MEGAMERGE!" the silverette yelled, the crimson light from within her chest glowing as her biometal responded to her call.

_**[Biolink established! M.E.G.A Systems online!]**_ came the cold voice of Model W, speaking aloud at last.

Black ooze seeping out of her flesh, Ashe looked as though her very body was melting. Instead of dripping to the floor in a disgusting puddle, the inky miasma trailed across her lithe form and hardened, shaping itself into dark armor in order to conceal her form. Jagged and spiked, the armor continued to warp, molding around her body as it covered her completely. Crimson patterns lined her form, while an amber shard jutted out of her chest where Aeolus had earlier stabbed. The cruel-looking spike throbbed brightly, as though falsely mimicking some grotesque heartbeat. Again the crimson patterns glowed, the blood-red light swallowing up the Raider's form until at last her transformation was complete.

Standing up to her full height, Ashe shook her helmeted head and snorted, resembling not so much a Mega Man but rather a monster straight out of their worst nightmares. They watched as her forearms flexed, causing vicious-looking blades to fan out across the room. Crimson plasma crackled around the cutting 'forewings', the silverette's megamerged form causing her to resemble some kind of dragon or perhaps even a wyvern. The crystalline gem on her forehead glowed gold in the dark along with the large spike in her chest, the dark creature a stark contrast to their brightly-coloured forms.

"INCOMPREHENSIBLE?" Siarnaq said, stiffening in fear as Ashe's feral eyes met his own.

"Siarnaq, I thought you said she was dead!" Atlas hissed, flinching the Dark Mega Man turned to snap at her.

"She was..." Aeolus whispered, while Thetis stepped backwards and pressed himself up against the corner of the wall. The shaggy-haired reploid had an extremely bad feeling about this particular Mega Man, and wanted no part in fighting her. The silver-haired girl growled like a cornered animal, the dark spines of her armor bristling as she gazed upon the three blocking her path. Immediately, Atlas' arms lifted, firing a stream of white-hot bullets towards the dark monstrosity. Reacting instinctively, Ashe lifted her own arms and folded the extended blades of her forearms together, fanning out the wings into a shield of sorts. Model F's searing bullets hammered across the black shell harmlessly, reducing the ex-soldier's attack to nothing but embers which dispersed harmlessly into the air.

Next came Siarnaq's Mandela Stars, sharp projectiles flying across the room to clatter uselessly against the hard black shell. Again the blades fanned themselves into the shield-like contraption, protecting Ashe from their cutting blades as they sought to penetrate her defences. While the Dark Mega Man was distracted, Aeolus dashed overhead to land behind her much like he'd done earlier, slashing down at her unprotected throat with his twin sabers. Moving at lightning speed, Ashe's shields unfolded back into her forearms, using the cutting edges of her wings to cross against that of his own blades.

_"You... you were the one who killed me, weren't you? Foolish boy, I shall pay your death back a thousand-fold!" _the girl hissed, speaking in that strange dual-toned voice again. Struggling fearfully, Aeolus failed to overpower his enemy as he found her bladed guard impossible to overcome.

Moving in to assist his comrade, Siarnaq lunged out from her shadow, holding his kunai blades at the ready to plunge into her undefended neck. Not releasing her hold against Aeolus, Ashe's head snapped around as the jawed 'mandibles' of her draconic helm dug into the Model P user's chest to hold him in place. Twisting her neck around quickly, Siarnaq flew across the room and crashed heavily into the gawking Atlas. The Model F user was sent tumbling to the ground as the Model P user rolled several times before landing lightly on his feet, backing away in surprise.

Thetis was the only one who didn't attack, watching the battle unfold from his hiding place across the room unhappily. The pretty silverette had become a horrific monster, all beauty vanishing upon becoming such a feral beast. The Model L user winced as Ashe booted Aeolus in the gut with her powerful hind legs, kicking herself off backwards to hover in mid-air. Flapping her bladed wings to maintain altitude like some overgrown bat, the predatory gleam in her golden eyes faded somewhat as she growled viciously at her foes.

_"What do think of me now? Not quite as pathetic as you thought, huh?"_ she spat, her voice crackling and distorted with anger.

Atlas sneered, but didn't trust herself to speak. Aeolus rolled upright, winded from the strong kick he'd received while Siarnaq continued backing away, trying to slip into where Thetis was hiding. Ashe roared in fury, sounding like the feral monster she so resembled. The entire building trembled under her fury again, causing the flickering lights to shatter one by one until the entire building was flooded with pitch-black darkness. Only her golden eyes remained visable, piercing their hearts with fear as she continued whispering to them coldly.

_"You know... I didn't even want to play this stupid Game of Destiny of yours in the first place, but since you seem so keen about it then I might as well join in and find out what all the fuss is about. I don't know who you four are, and quite frankly I don't care either, but since we never introduced ourselves I suppose I'll be polite and tell you who I am. My name is Ashe, the Chosen One of Model W! Fortunately for you, I've had enough of fighting for now, but I promise you that when I'm good and ready, I'll make your deaths much more painful than you ever made mine! Look forwards to it!"_

And with that, Ashe spread her dark wings and took off with a colossal flap. Like a rocket, the stunned onlookers watched as the Model W user soared up into the air, smashing her way through the domed glass ceiling above their heads. Fragments of glass and metal rained down onto their bodies as they covered themselves frantically, the Dark Mega Man becoming one with the full moon before she vanished into the night skies.

"Holy shit..." Atlas whispered, shaking the glass off herself. Although they didn't curse so readily, the others couldn't help but agree with the redhead's words upon realizing that the new player in their little game was much more dangerous than they'd originally antipated. They'd had their biometals for almost a year beforehand, and fighting together couldn't even _touch_ this newborn Mega Man Model W.

"I'm telling Prometheus this was all your idea!" Thetis said, pointing at Atlas accusingly while the ex-soldier snarled at him.

"Shut your face, pipsqueak!"

"Tell me _what?_ About the complete and utter _fuck-up_ I just witnessed?" the Reaper said coldly, glancing around the trashed reception area. The entire building was an absolute mess, but nowhere near as badly as this room had been affected. The fires that Atlas had set off were starting to spread, setting off the fire alarms around the building while fragments of glass continued to fall from where the silverette had smashed her way to freedom. Pandora hovered behind him, looking equally annoyed with the mess that the four had caused.

Aeolus and Siarnaq pointed at Atlas quickly, her face flaming as red as her hair. Prometheus sighed, rubbing his head irritably as he wondered how he was going to sort _this_ mess out. Mega Man Model W was gone, and Master Albert was expecting another update on her progress...

"_He's_ going to be very cross when he finds out about this..." Pandora said quietly, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

_To be continued...  
><em>

* * *

><p>Author's Note: This chapter took a while to write, but here we are at last, Ashe finally merged with Model W! Her physical appearance is closer to a wyvern than a dragon since she uses her arms to maintain flight, unlike Aeolus, whose 'wings' are on his back to leave the arms free to battle. Regarding Ashe's physical structure, think Hivolt from Mega Man ZX... except meaner and much darker in colour.<p>

Also, a big thank you to all my readers and reviewers so far! Even though this is just a silly 'what if' type of story, I'm delighted that some of you are enjoying it. As always, I greatly appreciate the time you've taken to read. I'd love to hear what you all think, and whether I should try anything different. While this is an alternate version of how MMZXA could have gone, that doesn't mean everything has to happen the same way this time round... right?


	4. Sinister Intentions

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything from the Mega Man ZX series, simple as that.  
>Summary: Fate clashes with destiny in an alternate world as Ashe becomes a Chosen One, but not with the Model A we all know and love. When Model W decides to choose her as its heir, is she destined to follow her ancestor's path and become the greatest threat the world has seen yet, or can she fight against her evil heritage and overcome the will of Model W?<p>

* * *

><p><em>Chronoforce's Lair - Arctic Ice Floes (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Rockin' On - Boss Theme)<em>

"Time's up!" Chronoforce hissed, angling his body up towards the lake's surface as multiple shards of ice began shooting out from all around his body. Despite how exhausted he felt, Grey braced himself for yet another punishing barrage of attacks as the jagged spears began flying towards him at ever increasing speeds. To the young reploid, it felt as if he was stuck in slow motion while the rest of the world around him was speeding up beyond his level of perception, the Mega Man Model A barely able to avoid the incoming points seeking to impale his artificial flesh.

"Gah, he just moves so quickly!" the boy hissed as a particularly large shard shattered across his upper thigh, having hesitated a moment too long and allowing the deadly icicle to make contact with his body. Fortunately the shard didn't strike true otherwise it would have pierced even Model A's thick armor - but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less! Chronoforce smirked maliciously as Grey screamed out in pain, spears of cold erupting from around the injury to coat heavily around his thigh. Upon noticing the youth's predicament, Chronoforce then whirled his tail around and sped through the water overhead like a torpedo, dragging Grey's partially frozen body behind him and along the gritty bottom of the lake bed.

"Heheheh! To think that somebody like _you_ received Model A! After I'm done having my fun here, I'll take that biometal off your unworthy hands - have no doubt about that!" the creature jeered, as Model A winced upon hearing his sadistic words.

_"Grey, I-I think we're in trouble here! I can't take many more hits like that!"_ it warned, as its biomatch painfully picked himself up off the lake bottom. "I'm not... giving up... just yet!" he spluttered, clenching numb fists as he staggered back up onto his feet tiredly. Fighting underwater was _definitely_ not his strong point, the reploid thought to himself as he spat out a large mouthful of sand. As he wiped off the grainy sediment caking his lips, Grey barely had time to avoid the huge icicle rushing towards him from behind as Chronoforce charged overhead in the hopes of catching him offguard.

"You have no chance to escape my sub-zero realm! Just give up already and I'll bring your suffering to an end. Let yourself be carried away by the tides of time, to where a peaceful eternity of silence awaits..." the Pseudoroid whispered softly in his ear, his words chilling Grey's blood more than the coldness around him ever could. _The coldness..._ he thought to himself as he floated down towards the bottom of the lake, eyeing the thick sheet of ice still coated around his upper thigh. Although Model A's armor protected him from the worst of the cold, the frozen liquid impeded his movements as he struggled to force his knee to bend against its will. Meanwhile, Chronoforce swam through the currents overhead easily as he watched the floundering Mega Man below, not looking like he was slowing down anytime soon thanks to that Time Bomb ability of his.

_That's it!_ Like a bolt of lightning, inspiration suddenly hit Grey as he remembered that ice was nothing against the power of fire. He might not be able to move around so fast underwater, but Buckfire probably could. If he A-Transed into the Gaxelleroid, he should be able to move as quickly as Chronoforce was able to even with that time-twisting ability of his engaged. Chronoforce noticed the abrupt change of expression across Grey's face and wondered if the youth was finally giving up.

"Any last words before I tear you to pieces, Defective?" the Pseudoroid sneered, spreading out his gleaming limbs as he prepared to use his 'Icicle Bombardment' attack once more.

"Just one; _A-TRANS!_" Grey called out, Model A responding immediately to his thoughts as he pictured the Gaxelleroid in his mind. In a flash of white light, Grey morphed into the smaller Pseudoroid and caused the sheet of ice embedded around his leg to shatter completely. As Buckfire's searing flames heated up the waters all around him, Chronoforce roared in outrage and charged. Being an Ice-Type Pseudoroid, he was instinctively afraid of the sight of fire and rushed blindly at the threat ahead of him. Kicking his burning heels, Grey jumped overhead easily as Chronoforce's immense frame sped by underneath, his ramming charge missing the transformed Mega Man completely. The reploid youth retaliated with a barrage of Blazing Arrows as he turned back towards his retreating foe, and this time it was Chronoforce who screamed in pain as their flaming points penetrated the thin hull of his underside. Immediately the makeshift limbs shattered, the icicles adorning the Xiphosuroid's body starting to melt away as the temperature within the lake began rising rapidly.

The crab-like being's eyes glowed white with rage at the damage that the small reploid had caused, and how Buckfire's flames were making his home unpleasantly warm. "Look what you've done to my beautiful body! I'm going to rip you apart for this, Defective! You're nothing but worthless _trash_, unfit to lay eyes upon the Mega Man King!" he snarled as his processers began to overheat, causing his AI to malfunction. Grey's verdant orbs hardened at the threat, having long since grown tired of their lengthy battle.

"I've heard enough! I don't care about this 'Game of Destiny' or who the Mega Man King is, just stop this pointless fight! I don't want to have to hurt you any more!" he called as he tried to reason with the snarling maverick. Hissing in uncontrollable fury, the Xiphosuroid rose up towards the lake's surface once again, spreading out his remaining limbs before the gleaming icicles melted away completely.

"As if you could! I'm finishing you off now, rules be damned!" Chronoforce shouted, but before his gears could click themselves into overdrive, Grey dashed forwards and flung the bladed projectiles adorning Buckfire's wrists towards his prone foe. Whirling their way through the choppy waters, both edged blades bit sharply into Chronoforce's broken underside and shattered it. Not finished yet, the spinning blades continued to eat away at Chronoforce's weakened hull, Buckfire's Blazing Arrows from earlier having melted the circuits of the delicate interior. Gasping as his thick armor crumbled apart, the light in Chronoforce's eyes dimmed as he conceded defeat at last.

"Arghh...! Perhaps you're not quite as Defective as I was led to believe. No matter though... you are nothing more than a pawn... in the palm... of HIS hand. All you can hope to do... is flail about in the little time you have left. I may have failed... but one of the others will stop you... and you will never get to meet the Mega Man King! Hahahahah...!" the Xiphosuroid cackled before the rest of his remains shattered. Chunks of of azure material sank down into the depths of the crystalline lake, leaving sparkling fragments of Pseudoroid DNA behind. Those remaining pieces of data were quickly absorbed by Model A in the same manner it had done after Buckfire had been defeated, granting the exhausted Grey a well-earned new form.

_(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Wonder Panorama - Area F - Lake)_

_"You've obtained Chronoforce's data!"_ Model A said, sounding as tired as Grey felt. Not exactly a surprise considering how unforgiving the long trek across the Arctic Ice Floes had been, especially after battling a large worm-like mechaniloid and then Chronoforce almost immediately afterwards. Relaxing his tense muscles, the young reploid transformed back into his Mega Man Model A form and allowed himself to drift along the cool lake currents, which felt almost warm now thanks to Buckfire's broiling flames. He sighed as he called the words of both Chronoforce and Buckfire, who had spoken highly of this 'Mega Man King' and how he definitely wasn't one being 'Defective', whatever they meant by that...

"Who is this HE, HIS, HIM guy that everyone keeps talking about? I wish I hadn't lost my memories otherwise this might all be a little clearer. Maybe that's why everyone keeps calling me Defective... I'm just not good enough..." he whispered sadly, thinking that perhaps he wasn't worthy of being a Mega Man at all. Model A tensed as it overheard what Grey had said and shook him angrily, furious at how he put himself down after surviving such a fierce battle.

_"You're NOT Defective, Grey! Don't ever think that! Who cares what those assholes think, or whether or not there's already a Mega Man King? Whoever he is, I bet HE'S the one calling the shots behind those other Mega Men. If they wanna get in the way of finding out who you really are, then we're just going to have to take them down like we did Chronoforce! I believe in you, Grey. I wouldn't have chosen you otherwise, so don't you dare think that you're not good enough - not even for one moment!"_ it admonished, feeling relieved as Grey's lips slowly twitched upwards into a smile upon hearing its words. Gratitude wasn't an emotion he'd felt towards the little biometal before, who had mocked him more than once for his desire to help others, but it was nice that the wise-cracking device openly stated that it believed in him and what he was doing.

Before he could respond to Model A's little pep talk, Grey's communicator suddenly bleeped urgently. Thinking it might have been Nicol checking up on his physical status, the reploid opened the line but instead of the Hunters, it was the Sage Trinity instead. Each of the three men bore expressions of concern as they saw how roughed up the youth looked, having received considerable injuries in his battle against the powerful Xiphosuroid.

_"Are you alright, Grey? That was a very rough fight, are you sure that you're able to continue?"_ Master Albert asked. Grey nodded, already feeling better after his short rest and what Model A had said to him moments ago.

"I'm okay thanks, just a little tired out after beating that Pseudoroid. I'll continue onwards after resting here a little longer if that's okay."

_"You should probably head back to the Hunter's Camp and rest there for a while, Grey. We just scanned the area ahead and that building is locked down tight, probably thanks to those other Mega Men you encountered earlier,"_ Master Thomas mentioned, referring to when Atlas and Thetis had intercepted him on the bridge. Model A sputtered crossly, outraged that their exit out of the harsh arctic terrain was blocked.

_"W-what the hell are you talking about? Do you mean we came all this way for nothing then? How are we gonna get to the Oil Fields now?"_ the little biometal whined as Grey shushed it hurriedly. Master Mikhail spoke up next, hopefully none of the men being able to understand what Model A had said otherwise they might have been offended by its accusing tone.

_"There's an old communications tower nearby that was abandoned years ago, called the 'Tower of Verdure'. It's been nicknamed that by the locals thanks to the natural foliage that's reclaimed it over the years, but it's not as peaceful as it sounds. Mavericks recently started appearing there so we sealed the area off, but I bet the computer inside of that tower is still operational. If you can make your way to the top of that building, you might able to hack into its system and unlock the Oil Fields manually from there or at the very least find an alternative route into the desert."_

"So the Tower of Verdure is where I need to go then?" Grey asked, feeling slightly sceptical about the whole situation. Master Mikhail hummed thoughtfully, scanning the area around him for another route that wasn't so out of the way.

_"It seems that way, yes. We're sorry to have put you through such an unnecessary journey, but using transervers simply isn't an option right now thanks to the increasing maverick activity out there. Regarding the Tower of Verdure and the recent irregular outbreak, it could mean that there's a biometal hidden somewhere around the area. If you could check it out and find out what the cause of the outbreak is, we would be very grateful to you. The chances are that it's nothing too serious, but if there is a biometal attracting them then it's only a matter of time before they affect the people living nearby..."_

"Which means that I'd better stop them before they attack!" Grey said, frowning at the thought of innocent lives in danger. Model A groaned tiredly, sensing that Grey's dutiful nature was about to put them through something stupid again.

_"But Grey, you're hurt after that battle! You need to rest!"_ the little biometal said worriedly as Grey suddenly smirked at its words.

"Model A, worried about someone else?" he asked, grinning playfully as Model A sputtered awkwardly upon being caught out._ "Y-you got a problem with that? Obviously somebody's gotta watch out for you since you're determined to do or die!"_ it grumbled, trying to sound tough as it usually did. Master Albert smiled at their banter in an almost fatherly manner; their bond was growing faster than he expected, his two creations already caring about each other deeply despite the differences between their personalities. If they were like this now, how powerful would Grey and Model A become over the coming few weeks? He rather wanted to find out. _  
><em>

_"Model A is right, Grey. You've pushed yourself incredibly hard today and continuing on your mission without adequate rest is dangerous. You won't be able to help anybody if you're all worn out, so as a member of the Sage Trinity, I order that you return back to Hunter's Camp and recuperate!" _he said firmly, smirking as Model A gloated over 'winning' the argument. "Alright, alright, you guys win. I'll head back to Hunter's Camp right away..." the boy said, picking himself up off the ground before switching his communicator off. He felt much better already knowing that it wasn't just Model A who cared about how he was; Master Albert seemed to like him a lot, as did Master Mikhail too. Master Thomas was hard to read, but as the leader of the Sage Trinity, he probably had more to worry about that moment than how one single reploid boy felt about the crazy situations he'd been drawn into the past few days.

_Legion Headquarters (Mega Man ZX Gigamix OST - En-trance Code - Trans Server - Save & Load)  
><em>

As Grey journeyed back towards the distant Hunter's Camp, the Sage Trinity talked quietly amongst themselves about the reploid youth in question. As a Mega Man, Grey was progressing nicely indeed, having taken down two dangerous Pseudoroids in the course of a single day. Out of the three Sages, it was Master Thomas who had reservations about the young boy; unsure whether or not to believe he was truly up to the task of wielding Biometal Model A.

"He's quite an enthusiastic young man. The Hunters speak very highly of him, although all records of his past are completely untracable. Nobody knows who he is or where he came from at all... do you think it wise to trust him with the power of biometal?" the redhead asked his two partners. Master Albert frowned slightly, the conversation steering off into uncomfortable territory far too quickly for his liking. Fortunately it was Master Mikhail who piped up next, the amiable old man obviously favorable towards the silver-haired teen.

"I'm sure Grey's heart is in the right place, Thomas. He's only had Model A for a day, and look at how much he's accomplished in that time! The Hunters have already told us all about him and the circumstances in which they found him. I'm sure that whatever happened was an accident, and that he's not dangerous. He's just an excitable young lad, and we would do well to remember that we were once young like him too."

Master Thomas sighed. "You're right, Mikhail. I suppose I'm just a little worried about him, his well-being in particular. He just survived an encounter with an extremely dangerous maverick, and there's no telling what he might come up against in the future. You both heard what that Thetis boy said on the bridge; there are other Mega Men out there playing this so-called 'Game of Destiny' against one another, meaning that Grey's going to be put into a lot more danger sooner than we think. What do you think, Albert? You've been very quiet about this so far."

"Hmm? Well, I'm sure they won't be too much of a problem. Grey and Model A appear to be bonding well, and are obviously strong enough to take care of themselves. As Mikhail said, Grey is young, but he'll grow stronger over time as he learns from his experiences. I don't like that such a young boy is putting himself in danger's way for our benefit, but the power of biometal is as wonderous as it is powerful - and it's better that somebody with a good heart possesses Model A. In the event that things do get too drastic, we could always call the Guardians in for assistance. I believe that the two humans onboard - Vent and Aile is it? Yes, I believe that they are Mega Men too, and are experienced in dealing with rogue mavericks."

Master Thomas nodded, feeling assured. "Indeed, you are both correct. Forgive an old man for worrying so much about this; obviously you both see something in the boy that I cannot, but I trust what you say and that Grey is indeed capable."

"Not at all. You have every right to be concerned, Thomas. Now, since it's starting to get quite late, I suggest that we take our own advice and rest for a little while too. It's no good frazzling our minds over what's going on; I'm sure that something will come up later and we'll find out what's going on at last. I'll see you gentlemen later on," Albert said, as he bade his working partners farewell for the time being. Stepping out of the plushly decorated headquarters, the green-haired man looked around carefully as he headed into his personal quarters. Making sure that nobody was listening, Albert tapped into the communicator on his earpiece and sent out a message to the recipients in question...

_"Attention DAN - #001 and DAN - #002. I've received satisfactory reports on Mega Man Model A, but there's been no word on our other young entree in the Game of Destiny and I need information. Therefore, I have a new mission for the two of you; find Mega Man Model W and bring her back to the laboratory if you can, but if not, then just find out where she is and report back on her physical progress. The usual rules apply; do not let anybody see you and do not engage in battle unless absolutely necessary. You know the penalties otherwise. Master Albert out."_

* * *

><p><em>City Outskirts - Cinq Ville (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Metallic Soul - Theme of Biometal)<em>

"Ughh, my aching head..." Ashe grumbled irritably as she clamped both palms over her eyes, wondering if she'd ever wake up normally again. Three times now she'd woken up feeling like shit, her head throbbing as vague memories of earlier events struggled to rise through the cloud of fog that had invaded her mind. Breathing in deeply to settle her frazzled nerves, Ashe was startled that unlike the sterile laboratory she'd last woken up in earlier, instead she could smell... _flowers?_ Stirring gently, the Model W user could feel the tickle of grass underneath her cheek, as well as the warmth of sunshine beaming down from above to warm her bruised body to the core. Nearby, the chirruping cries of birdsong could be heard, their musical calls chasing away the thumping headache inside of her skull.

"Where... are we now?" the girl whispered as she cracked open her eyes. As her sight came into focus, Ashe was pleasantly surprised to find herself in a beautiful forest clearing populated by wild flowers. Surrounded by a sea of pink, white and yellow petals, the silverette was enveloped in their heady scent, soothing her aching head as the scent of late spring and fresh air cleared her mind. Suddenly a twinge of pain in her chest caused Ashe to wince, as she recalled her last clear memory of when that young man... Aeolus, his name was? How that Model H user had stabbed her through the chest and ended her life. As the cold tendrils of death peeled her last conscious thoughts away, Model W had roared to life, the scene fading away in a river of blood and fury as the ancient biometal took control.

_"Good afternoon, Ashe. Did you sleep well?"_ Model W asked as it sensed its biomatch awaken, thankfully appearing none the worse for wear despite the serious injuries she'd received last night. It smirked as the girl grumbled petulantly upon hearing its voice inside her mind, obviously not a morning riser. "Afternoon already? It was the middle of the night, the last thing I recall..." she grumbled as she rolled over, frowning as she realized she was laying upon something hard. Stretching her hand out, Ashe froze as she touched something that almost felt like a body. Flicking her eyes downwards, the girl startled as she came face-to-chest with a decapitated galleon. Its head lay lopsided in a patch of grass nearby, the dull optics seeming to watch her forlornly.

"Holy shit!" she yelped, jumping up onto her feet in shock. Buried amongst the flowers all around her were the scattered remains of dozens of mavericks laying in bits and pieces around the forest clearing. There had to have been at least a dozen of the things, all in various states of decimation as if something or _someone_ had laid waste to them while she'd been asleep. _No prizes for guessing who, _she thought to herself as she gazed down at her palms. Coating her palms were the telltale markings of artificial blood, dried and crumbling as though she'd been clawing their remains all night long - which she probably had done, come to think of it. The chemical stench rolling off her hands made her recoil a little; how did she not smell it through the flowers?

Model W patiently watched as its young biomatch brushed the dried material off her uniform. At least she wasn't squeamish, and seemed to be calm despite the chaotic situation she'd been forced into the past several days. After she'd finished cleaning her hands, Ashe then peeled off her Raiders' jacket which was stiff with her dried blood. There was no saving the coat after the damage it had received when Aeolus stabbed her last night, the Model H user's blade tearing a jagged gash through her chest region. Finally she was done, looking scruffier than she normally did but at least no longer looking as though she'd walked through a slaughterhouse. Yes, the girl was adapting well - and was accepting its presence faster than even it had expected.

"Do you know where we are, Model W? I don't think I've ever been here before," she then asked, as Model W hummed thoughtfully deep inside her. _"We're somewhere in the region of Cinq Ville, quite possibly on the outskirts of Area A. The capital city itself isn't too far off from here, as far as I can tell. I landed us quite near in case you needed more... adequate medical attention than I could provide,"_ it finished quietly. Ashe blinked in surprise.

"_Cinq Ville?_ But that's continents away, how did we get here so fast?" she asked. Ah, so she didn't remember what happened after all. Model W responded to her thoughts, picturing a small island located out in the middle of the sea and the course it had taken throughout the night as it flew towards the closest continent it could find. Cinq Ville itself was a series of small countries joined together, forming protectively around the capital city of Inner Peace where the majority of the civilian populace on the continent lived. Ashe bit her lip as she tried to remember what she knew about the country; it had been led by a reploid man called Serpent up until around five years ago when he was killed during a huge maverick attack that destroyed Slither Inc. and almost consumed the whole city. She frowned; yet another good person slaughtered thanks to those hideous creations...

_"You forget, we were teleported to that island base after you were kidnapped. When you... lost consciousness last night, I took control of your body and headed towards the closest civilisation I could find. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to get you back home though; from what I remember about Inner Peace, there's a transerver network inside the city that can teleport you back home a lot quicker than I can get us by flying there. It's been a number of years since the city was rebuilt, so there shouldn't be any problems finding one and using it."  
><em>

"Except money, that is. A big transerver jump isn't going to be cheap," Ashe replied as she rummaged through her pockets. Her civilian identity card was still on her person thankfully, enabling her access into the city without raising too many issues as to why an underaged girl was walking around on her own. The Raiders had forged an identity for her in the event she became seperated from them, so that she wouldn't be arrested or taken into custody if the authorities caught up with her before they did. As for affording the extensive teleportation trip overseas, the silverette was pleasantly surprised as she pulled out pocketfuls of E-Crystals. Easily enough to afford a one way trip back into Outlands...

_"I thought you might be needing some spare change, so I went on a little hunting expedition while you were recovering," _Model W grinned, pointing subconsciously at the bodies of the mavericks all around them. Ashe glanced at their pitiful remains, feeling no sympathy for the creatures as she imagined the cutting blades of Model W gutting them like fish for the precious energy crystals sealed within their cores. "Thanks, I guess," she grinned back. Maybe having Model W around wasn't so bad; after all, it seemed to be looking out for her wellbeing more than anybody else had lately. The biometal was surprised when it felt the rush of pleasure flow through its biomatch, its connection to its host so well developed that their network was in near perfect synchronization with one another.

The trek towards Inner Peace was a quiet one as Ashe and Model W left the flowery clearing, following the signs pointing out the pathway towards Inner Peace. After several minutes of travel, the silverette suddenly noticed that there wasn't a single maverick or irregular to be found at all, the forest completely devoid of all artificial life. There were telltale signs of their presence of course; nests and damaged vegetation where they'd stalk their unsuspecting prey through the undergrowth, but it seemed as if the area had just been... _abandoned _for some reason._  
><em>

_**SNAP**_

Ashe froze. The faintest shiver of tension rippled down her spine as her hair stood on end, ancient human instinct roaring to life as the sensation of _being watched_ made itself known. Model W also froze, sensing that something was amiss. Had it missed an enemy? While the presence didn't _feel_ hostile, the biometal also disliked the feeling of being watched so intensely._ "Come on,"_ it whispered, guiding its young biomatch away from the thickest growths of vegetation where a potential ambush would be most likely. Ashe didn't stop jogging until the green door of Inner Peace came into sight, the Mega Man finally having reached the city entrance. Fumbling through her pockets, the silverette quickly swiped the false identity keycard through the appropriate slot and breathed a sigh of relief as the red light flashed green to allow her entry inside. As Ashe stepped through the door, she looked back into the forest one last time, half expecting something to jump out at her. Still there was nothing, but she could still feel the piercing gaze of whatever it was that had made that sound. Immediately as the door slammed shut behind her, the feeling passed, but Ashe felt no more relaxed. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heels and made her way into the inner city, following the underground pathway as she prepared to enter civilisation.

* * *

><p><em>(Mega Man ZX Advent Tunes - The Chosen One - Theme of Albert)<em>

"You could have stopped her... why didn't you?" Pandora asked, as Prometheus silently watched the Model W user slip inside Area C. Oh, he could have stopped the girl quite easily if he had wanted to, but something compelled him to stay his hand for now until he'd found what he'd been looking for. Ashe seemed... different from when he'd last seen her somehow, actively talking with her biometal as she made her way through the forest of flowers. According to Thetis, the silverette had transformed upon her death at the hands of the Model H user, the injury she'd received fully awakening the dormant shard within. The sheer power she must have unlocked to reverse death itself... he had to know if it was true, and judging from the sea of maverick remains they'd found her sound asleep at, apparantly it was.

"I've been thinking," he said slowly as an idea came to life inside his mind, "that we've been playing this Game of Destiny and following _Master _Albert's wishes for far too long," he finished, as Pandora's eyes widened in shock. Ever since their original escape before they were recaptured and imbued with Model W, they'd always talked about the various ways they'd escape Albert's clutches and of the things they'd do once free of his control, but this was the first time that Prometheus had openly suggested _defying_ him. The female Mega Man looked around nervously as if expecting their creator to appear any moment, but Prometheus continued talking, seemingly enthralled with whatever plan he was cooking up.

"This Ashe... I believe she's the one we've been waiting for all these years. You know as well as I do that Model W requires a strong will to use else its power consumes its host's soul, but hearing them talk to one another like that, how Model W concedes to her desires... it looks as if it has chosen her as its heir after all. Perhaps... perhaps if we get her on _our_ side, she can help us strike at Albert and end this farce once and for all..." he said, his crimson eyes flickering back and forth quickly as he began plotting. Pandora bit her lip. His plan seemed viable, but how were they going to get the girl on their side without Albert knowing? He knew _everything;_ even just thinking about this was incredibly dangerous, their master had warned that _any _defiance, even imagined, was not to be tolerated at all.

"The heir of Model W... the Mega Man King..." she said, smiling faintly at how the words rolled off her tongue. If her brother was right, then Ashe's appearance could only be a good thing - if they played their cards right, that was.

Lifting his head, the male reploid breathed in deeply as he studied the sprawling city of Inner Peace before them. The civilian populace, so blissfully unaware of the danger that had just strolled into their vast city. He then frowned. No, Ashe wasn't a danger, or not she was yet anyway. Like the child she was, Ashe lacked the killing instinct necessary to fuel Model W's true strength and had _barely _tapped the potential of her biometal. Even the fight she'd had against the other four last night was _nothing_ compared to what she could really do if pushed... but how to coax that kind of power out, and how to get her to trust them?

"Cinq Ville... I never expected to return here again so soon. How odd that Model W would choose to return here of all places..." Pandora whispered as Prometheus nodded in agreement. It was an unusual coincidence now that she mentioned it. Shrugging their shoulders for now, both Prometheus and Pandora jumped down off the branch they'd been perched on and walked into the clearing before the city.

"Come, let's see how our young King is handling herself in there," the male reploid said, as both siblings rose up into the air and flew overhead to spot where their quarry had gotten off to.

* * *

><p><em>Cinq Ville - Area C (Megaman ZX Tunes - Brilliant Show Window - Area C - City)<em>

The cool evening breeze ruffled Ashe's short hair as she stepped out onto the city streets, crowds of people passing the silverette by without a second thought as late afternoon began to settle across Inner Peace. Overhead, the skies were beginning to glow orange as the sun dipped beyond the landscape's horizon, the city lights beginning to switch themselves on one by one now that nightfall was approaching. Moving away from the heaving crowds, Ashe wandered through the streets by herself as she searched for the transervers that would take her home. As much as she'd wanted to visit other countries before, all she wanted right now was to return home and see the familiar sands of the Oil Fields once again. _A good meal, a hot shower and a long sleep in my nice warm bed wouldn't go amiss either,_ she thought glumly to herself, wondering exactly when she'd last eaten...

**_THUMP_**

"Hey, be careful!" a voice called out, as Ashe, suddenly aware she hadn't been looking where she was going, flushed red with embarrassment upon realizing she'd walked straight into another person. A pair of reploid men dressed in dark green uniforms stood before her, looking surprised at her sudden appearance. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ashe stepped back a pace and held up her hands, hoping that they hadn't taken offense to what she'd done. City dwellers could be rough towards outsiders, a Raider had told her some time ago.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to walk into you like that," she apologized, still flushing with embarrassment. Model W sighed inwardly; the girl shouldn't be apologizing to those worms, rather they should be apologizing to _her_ for getting in the way. Nonetheless, the reploid men seemed fine, and smiled warmly at the girl when they realized it was just an accident. "That's okay, I was just surprised, that's all. Are you alright, miss?" the darker-haired of the two said, holding her small hand gently. He was a handsome young man, with jet-black hair, dark brown eyes and olive-colored skin. The other man next to him was taller and more pale, with long blond hair and startlingly blue eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you. The name's Ashe, by the way. Miss makes me feel old," she joked as the dark-haired reploid laughed. "I'm Carrelet, he said, while the blond grinned. "And I'm Hareng. _Guardians at your service, Ashe!"_ they said together while bowing their heads. Ashe relaxed, feeling at ease immediately. These people were fine; she'd have to prank the asshole who made out as if city people would shank her if she so much as looked them the wrong way. Carrelet tilted his head as if he remembered something.

"You look like you've just come into town. You wouldn't happen to know anything about what's gotten people so unsettled today, would you?" he asked, as Ashe frowned. "Umm, know about what?" she asked in return, growing slightly nervous again. _This had something to do with her, she knew it. _Carrelet must have noticed her abrupt change of mood as he let go of her hand and adopted a casual expression. "Oh, nothing so terrible's happened, don't you worry about that. It's just that people have reported seeing strange sights all day, and with what happened five years ago when the last big maverick attack hit, the people here are... well, let's just say they're slightly uneasy about what they've seen."

"What Carrelet _means_ to say is that locals believe they've spotted an unusual black maverick flying around the countryside sometime this morning. They called us Guardians in to investigate, but so far there's been no sign of it at all. What we _did_ find however were scores of destroyed irregulars, their remains littered around the city perimeter as if whatever caused their deaths had been circling around the city. As you looked like you've just come into town, we just wondered if you might have seen anything that could help us with our investigation, that's all," Hareng finished, eyeing the silverette's rather battered-looking appearance in a rather suspicious manner.

Ashe gulped._ A black maverick, flying around and destroying other mavericks?_ she thought to herself as Model W trembled inside her core slightly. It could only have been them, or rather Model W in particular, having a careless moment with its fun and attracting people's attention. _Hold on a moment... Guardians? The Guardians of the Grand Nuage, right? _Hareng blinked as Ashe paled even more, looking like she was about to faint. The dream she'd had the other day was recalled vibrantly all of a sudden, in particular the great airship that blasted her from the skies. If they knew she was the black maverick, they'd never stop hunting her. She'd never be safe again...

"Are you alright, miss? You've gone very pale..." Carrelet asked, forgetting momentarily that she didn't like being called that. Snapping out of her daze, Ashe edged away as politely as she could, giving the impression that she'd waylaid them long enough. "I haven't seen anything, I'm sorry. This black maverick though... it didn't hurt anyone, did it?" she asked. Hareng bit his lip. It hadn't hurt anyone... yet, but that wasn't a good enough reason to leave something so powerful unchecked. The only thing that could destroy mavericks so easily was a Mega Man, and aside from their two, whatever lurked outside was something only they could handle. These people were utterly defenceless should it appear again. Before he could answer her however, a scream drew their attention towards the end of the street.

_(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Crisis Zone)_

A plump man ran down the road towards them, screaming at the top of his lungs as he panted for breath between cries. _**"Run for your liiiives! The mavericks are invading!"**_ he howled, repeating himself over and over. At once, the crowds of people on the street scattered like chaff in the breeze as the faint sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Immediately Carrelet and Hareng unshouldered their rifles, looking ready for action. Meanwhile, Ashe was facing all sorts of dilemmas. If the mavericks were invading, they could only be here for one reason and that was to get revenge for what she and Model W had done to them. However, she couldn't abandon innocent people to suffer like she had in the past, orphaned as an infant because nobody else could protect her. However, if they stayed, she could be discovered as the rogue black maverick and be hunted by the Guardians, or worse, they could get hurt, and all because of her...

"Get behind us, Ashe. Here they come!" Carrelet cried, pushing the girl behind him protectively as scores of galleons and other assorted mavericks bounded around the corner of the street, making their way directly towards the trio. People continued to scream, fleeing through the streets in a panic as Ashe suddenly realized that the irregulars were focused completely on _them. _She looked back and forth between the two reploids anxiously, both men prepared to give their lives away if it meant protecting the civilians here - but they had no chance against so many of the feral machines on their own...

Model W whined internally, torn between assisting its master or giving into its instincts and throwing itself into the approaching horde. It anticipated feeling the hot rush of artificial blood splattering across its blades again, spilling across the streets as a show of its might, but its biomatch's will was stronger than its own and the ancient biometal was forced to comply with her wishes for the time being. Making her mind up, Ashe pushed past Carrelet and slipped past his grasping hand as he tried to pull her back away from them, but the Model W user sprinted towards the charging horde so inhumanely fast that even they stopped in surprise. Turning to the right sharply, Ashe wheeled around the corner and slipped into a series of backalleys, hoping against hope that they'd take the bait and leave the two Guardians alone. As she anticipated, the mavericks followed her direction, spilling into the tight pathways behind her and blocking her exit out.

Carrelet fired up his communicator immediately, his core hammering inside his chest as he feared for the young girl's safety. "Commander Prairie, this is Carrelet! I need Vent and Aile down here immediately, there's a maverick attack going on right now and a life is in danger!" he cried. On the other end of the receiver, he could hear Commander Prairie issuing her orders to both of the Chosen Ones onboard, apparantly having already noticed that trouble was brewing.

_**"Understood! They're already on their way; protect the civilians at all costs until they arrive! Commander Prairie out!"**_ the pink-clad commander replied before closing off the link. _Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem, _the dark-haired reploid thought to himself, having noticed just how _intensely _the mavericks in question were focused on that one girl. Glancing over at Hareng, both men nodded to each other as they followed the path that the girl and the irregulars had taken.

* * *

><p>Weaving her way around the twisting backalleys of Area C, it wasn't long before Ashe realized she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. Slamming up against a strong wall, the silverette thumped the material angrily, leaving a sizable dent behind in the metal frame. Behind her, the Model W user could hear the excited garbling of the irregulars as they cornered their prey, and turned around slowly to see their numbers spread out in an attempt to surround her.<p>

They stopped a few paces away, chattering to one another excitedly in their strange language as their optics flashed a variety of colours. Leading the horde were the ever-present galleons, the most common and recognizable types of maverick across the world. The other types she didn't recognize at all, perhaps unique to the region of Cinq Ville. Unlike the vaguely humanoid galleons, they strongly resembled various mechaniloid animals, similiar in appearance to creatures like dragonflies, crickets and reptiles. The silverette glared at them viciously, her golden eyes glowing brightly as Model W prepared to defend its host at all costs.

"Go on, get the fuck out of here!" she hissed under her breath, trying not to excite them any more than they already were. Instead of attacking, the irregular pack bounced around her playfully, seemingly _happy_ just to be nearby. It was then that a sharp whine suddenly pierced her skull, causing her to clutch her forehead in pain as the whining sound continued to rise in pitch. Just as her earpieces felt like they were about to explode, the agonizing pitch finally eased off, leaving her breathless as beads of sweat rolled off her skin. "W-what in the world was that?" she breathed, slumping back against the wall behind her. Flicking her gaze back to the mavericks still surrounding her, Ashe froze as she noticed that they were staring at her intensely, garbling to one another like before... yet this time, their words were coming in clearly instead of incomprehensible gibberish.

_"So this is the Mega Man King?"_ one of them whispered, as another nodded. _"The Lord Weil returns to the place of his birth, back to where the core first fell from the stars centuries ago..." _another said. Ashe blinked, wondering if she'd finally cracked at last. She could... understand what they were saying? She wasn't born here though, was she? Though maybe Model W did fall from the stars... perhaps they were talking about that? Her headache continued to grow worse as the mavericks continued to jabber to one another, feeling claustraphobic as they appeared to be edging closer towards the female Mega Man. Her head started to spin, crimson light threading her vision as she reached the limit she could stand. Summoning up every scrap of energy she had let, she called for Model W to do something, anything - just to get her the hell away from these things!

At once the transformation occured, far more quickly than it had last night. Within the span of a single transformation, Model W knew its biomatches body as if it had been with her all her life, knowing her inside out as it spilled forth from the jagged scar across her chest. Thick miasma trailed across her limbs to harden, revealing the black armor of the Dark Mega Man, Master of Model W. Her golden gemstone flashing, Ashe opened her predatory eyes as she gazed mercilessly upon the mavericks still surrounding her, too numb with shock to realize how just much trouble they were in.

_"Get the hell away from me!"_ she roared in a dual-toned voice, her powerful forearm swiping forth effortlessly as the lethal blades that served as wings fanned open to shred through the crowd in a single slash. Artificial blood rained down from the skies at the force of her blow, Model W singing in delight as it got to taste their fear and dismay upon serving the Mega Man King as vital sacrifices. Slashing and sweeping, Ashe made short work of their remains, the frenzied attacks coating her black armor thickly with their rich red fluids.

Just then, Vent, Aile, Carrelet and Hareng rounded the corner, their mouths dropping open in shock at the bloodied monstrosity that looked up to meet their eyes. Standing over the mutilated bodies of the irregular horde was the black dragon-like maverick that the locals had described, except this time it was down in the heart of the city in search of new prey. The two reploid men stepped back warily, edging behind both of the Mega Men Model ZX. Never before in their lives had they seen a maverick as frightening as this one.

"S-so it's true! There really is a black maverick that was responsible for destroying those other irregulars outside the city!" Hareng stammered, shaking in fear as a deep snarl rumbled from the throat of the beast. Carrelet stared numbly, recognizing the being's face through the draconic helm adorning its head. "Hareng, isn't this the same girl that you and I were talking to just moments ago? She must be a Mega Man, just like our two!" he whispered as the blond man nodded. Ashe continued to growl savagely, stepping forwards a pace as Vent's verdant eyes suddenly hardened.

"Stay right where you are and don't move. I don't know who you are, but you're obviously carrying an unidentified biometal and are extremely dangerous. Demerge and come with us immediately, or we'll have to take you down. _Don't make us hurt you,"_ he said sternly, his green eyes staring unflinchingly into the golden orbs of his foe. Her armored plates rattling, Aile watched as the 'wings' of the Dark Mega Man fluttered back and forth anxiously, as though she were torn deciding between fight and flight.

_"Dangerous? Me? What are you talking about? I was just defending myself!"_ she growled, spreading her wings forth as though motioning towards the remains of the mavericks all around her. Carrelet bit his lip. Her statement was true in a way, for they'd chased right into the alleyway, but still..._ I've been chased all over the place by people who wanted to kill me and have succeeded at least twice. I'm not a bad person because I want to defend myself!_ the silverette thought bitterly as Model W growled in agreement. Who were these assholes to treat her like another maverick? They didn't know anything about her or what she'd been through lately! Responding to Ashe's growing resentment, Model W's energy began crackling around her armored plates menacingly. The lights around the city began to dim as her energy levels skyrocketed, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble.

Aile shuddered. "She's not going to listen, Vent. We've got to take her down as quickly as possible, there are too many civilians at risk if we iniate a full scale battle," she whispered quickly, noticing how Ashe's posture was becoming more hostile with every passing moment. Vent nodded, eyeing the two reploid men standing behind him nervously. This was no place for them if a fight was to break out.

"Carrelet, Hareng; you two need to get somewhere safe at once. Head back to the Grand Nuage and tell Prairie we've found a rogue biometal user. She'll know what to do!" he said, as the two reploids saluted. "Aye aye, Commander!" both men replied before they teleported back to the airship. Ashe looked up, watching them leave almost sadly. Satisfied they'd be safe for the time being, Vent turned his attention back towards the Dark Mega Man standing before him, levelling his Z-Saber at her throat warningly.

"Are you going to give up and come with us, or do we need to beat you down?" Aile asked, as Ashe growled in return._ "I've done nothing wrong and I have no reason to trust you,"_ she said dismissively, turning away as through they weren't worth another thought. Vent sighed, sweatdropping slightly at her abrupt response.

"Looks like it's going to be the hard way then. Why do they always choose the hard way?" he grumbled before dashing towards his foe.

_(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Pallida Mors - Versus Serpent)_

As the male brunette dashed forwards to sweep his Z-Sabre at the girl, Aile jumped backwards and fired off the shot she'd been charging for the last few seconds. With a speed that, by all rights, should be physically impossible, Ashe backflipped away from Vent's deadly blade and hopped up onto the tall fence behind her, expertly maneuvering her armored form as lithely as a champion gymnast. Vent's eyes widened in shock at how quickly she'd moved, as if her armor weighed absolutely nothing at all. Just as Ashe landed on the top of the fence, balancing delicately on one foot, she crouched as Aile's plasma sphere rolled towards her, waiting until the very last second to jump. Just before it looked like the other female's attack was about to strike true, Ashe suddenly disappeared, reappearing again to twist through the air as she moved to avoid Vent's second attack as he wall-jumped his way up to meet her.

Slashing furiously as he rolled through the skies, Ashe again avoided each and every one of his attacks, her plated body twisting this way and that as she ribboned through the air like an eel underwater. Unlike Vent, who was landbound and destined to fall towards the earth, Ashe remained aerial, the fanned blades of her wings spinning around as she not only blocked each of thde lethal slashes that Vent threw at her, but continued to power herself through the air above them. Switching her Blaster for her own Z-Saber, both twins nodded at each other before seperating, wall-jumping up both the wall and the fence in an attempt to meet the Dark Mega Man on her own terrain.

However, Ashe had already anticipated the move, and waited in place tauntingly before folding her wings together and dropping down towards the ground like a rock. Both twins clashed blades in the air, missing her completely and falling to the ground as well as they struggled to seperate their tangled limbs. Just before Ashe hit the floor, she fanned open her blades and glided away easily, laughing as both Mega Men Model ZX landed heavily and rolled across the ground, becoming disarmed from the force of the fall. Snatching up their blades, both Vent and Aile flushed angrily as the Dark Mega Man blew a loud raspberry at them both before darting out of the alleyway and into the streets outside.

Civilians out late that night screamed as a black maverick suddenly burst onto the scene from out of nowhere, the drivers on the roads slamming their breaks down in shock as Ashe's monstrous form glided across the street. Vent stared after her, astonished that she was abandoning the fight just like that. Aile scowled in anger; she hadn't been made to look so stupid ever since Prometheus had goaded her into firing so he could turn her own attack back against her. To think that this little bitch could mock her and her brother like that...

"She's getting away, we'd better follow after her before anyone gets hurt!" Vent said, bringing Aile's attention back to earth as she nodded and followed after her brother. Wistfully, the male brunette wished (and not for the first time) that they still had Model H onhand, both Mega Men Model ZX barely able to keep up with the speedy Dark Mega Man in the skies as they were forced to run through the panicking crowds. Vent sighed again as he wondered where those biometals were, and how they were doing ever since they'd been stolen...

* * *

><p>Nearby, Prometheus and Pandora watched the chaos unfold in the streets below with a smirk across their faces. Their plan was going much better than even Prometheus had predicted; the Model W user learning how to handle her new power without them even having to lift a finger. The Chosen Ones of Model's ZX were already at the girl's throat within moments of encountering her, tempting the ancient power hidden within the Mega Man King. While they were experienced biometal users and more than a match for Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis and Siarnaq combined, Ashe was a different kettle of fish altogether and possessed the ultimate biometal for her very own purposes. Once they found out that the girl possessed Model W itself, Vent and Aile would stop at <em>nothing <em>to defeat her - meaning that it was only a matter of time before the young silverette gave into fate and fully embraced her rightful heritage.

Once the girl tasted innocent blood for the first time, she would at last be worthy of her birthright as the Mega Man King. Prometheus licked his lips at the thought of Ashe becoming worthy of her role as heir at last. Throughout the course of human history, he'd learned that every King, no matter how powerful they were, needed a consort in which to guide them, and if anybody knew how best to cause bloodshed and destruction, it was him.

_To be continued..._

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><p>Author's Note: Oh Prometheus, whatever are you planning? I'm sure it can't be good for anybody, least of all Ashe. The poor girl's in enough trouble as it is. My apologies for the late update also, I struggled with forcing myself into writing this particular chapter and got rather more sidetracked than expected. Again, my thanks to zhead, Zohaku, the unknown and Trader for all your wonderful reviews. Regarding OC's, I wouldn't mind having a go - but trying to write them and actually writing them well are entirely different matters and I may struggle putting them in at all with what I've got planned next. Drop me a PM anyway and I'll see what I can do, but no promises.<p> 


	5. Update!

Author's Note: Just an update to all readers that this story is temporarily on hiatus. Unfortunately I've found myself very busy again all of a sudden and am unsure as to when I can write/update regularly again. I apologize for the brief message, but I didn't want to appear as if I've simply upped and left for no good reason. I will continue writing again once I'm able, so until then, I'll catch you later! Hope to see you again sometime soon!


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